Facilities management services company, OCS Australia and New Zealand (OCS ANZ), is committed to sustainable development and practices, supporting the planet and the local communities the company works in.
Its 2021 sustainability report showcases how OCS ANZ is reducing its customers’ environmental impact by implementing circular economy principles and fighting landfill by reassessing its customers’ waste streams and finding alternative solutions.
OCS ANZ managing director, Gareth Marriott, is a passionate emissions-reduction ambassador and advocates for his team to work closely with customers to help bring innovative solutions with real impact.
“I’d be naive to think one business has all the answers. The planet has now reached a tipping point and if we don’t start making genuine efforts – not just box ticking – we’re in for a rough ride.
“It’s our responsibility as employers and industry business leaders to work together to effect real change. This is the only way that we can ensure a better tomorrow for future generations.”
Sustainable practice
Pre-COVID-19 lockdowns, Perth Airport was the fourth busiest airport in Australia (in terms of passenger traffic) and operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
With millions of international and national visitors annually, airport customs officers seize hundreds of items daily that pose a biological risk to Australia.
Since 2018, OCS has held the Approved Arrangement for Waste Collection, Waste Storage and Waste Transport on behalf of Perth Airport within Perth Airport premises.
OCS is the frontline of biosecurity at this international port, ensuring biosecurity waste is disposed of responsibly and securely.
The OCS team worked closely with the Department of Agriculture to ensure best practice, establishing guidelines and procedures and undergoing a number of audits before being approved to deliver the service.
Perth Airport is fully compliant in every aspect of biosecurity waste removal and disposal, and no non-conformances have been found in random annual audits conducted by the Department of Agriculture.
The safe disposal of biosecurity risk items helps keep Australia’s $32 billion agricultural export industries, and Australia’s unique environment, safe from exotic pests and diseases.
In early 2022, OCS teamed up with Perth Airport to deliver AI-controlled floor cleaning robots into the terminals. The new initiative saves thousands of litres of water as the robotic scrubbers recycle and filter the water they use.
The technology communicates in real-time to assist with maintenance and has a 360-degree camera and sensors to ensure passenger safety.
OCS’ sustainable practices are also highlighted in its position as an Equal Opportunities Employer. OCS ANZ partners with various organisations in Australia to provide vocational training to people with disabilities.
OCS is working with Disability Employment Services NOVA in Eastern Australia. Through this agency, it can attract and retain a diverse talent pool while also providing opportunities for some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
The organisation also recently completed its fourth year of Toitū Envirocare certification and achieved Toitū net carbonzero certification for the second year in a row.
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