The City of Cape Town implemented an
eco-audit and retrofit programme at six of its
environmental education centres.
Eco-audit and retrofit of environmental
education centres
The City of Cape Town implemented an eco-audit and retrofit programme at six
Environmental Education Centres (EE Centres). The staff assisted in the eco-audit
and compilation of their retrofit plans, which were implemented where possible as
outlined in this case study.
The six EE Centres audited were:
•
Edith Stephens EE Centre, Edith Stephens Nature Reserve
•
FBEP EE Centre , False Bay Ecology Park
•
Kristo Pienaar EE Centre, Tygerberg Nature Reserve
•
Mike Woods EE Centre, Helderberg Nature Reserve
•
Rondevlei EE Centre, Rondevlei Nature Reserve
•
Zandvlei EE Centre, Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve
The audits focused on the themes of the Smart Living Handbook – energy, water, waste and
biodiversity. The purpose of the audit was to:
•
Determine baseline information of the EE Centres;
•
Compile retrofit plans to make them ‘Centres of Excellence’;
•
Encourage EE centres to apply for ‘Eco Centre’ status through WESSA;
•
Provide guidance around basic retrofitting and implementation that needed to
happen; and
•
Raise awareness around eco-auditing to environmental staff members.
Process
1. Workshop: The first workshop provided an introduction on how to do an eco-audit
and representatives from the various EE Centres participated in this workshop. The
important aspect of this workshop was to focus on the importance of the
sustainability of the EE Centres as centres of excellence. Although the natural
environment is important, and the key focus of the EE Centres, it is also important to
ensure that these centres are managed in a sustainable manner.
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The purpose of the workshop was to provide guidance around how and why an
audit is done to encourage active participation in the process and on-going
monitoring. This will enable the buy-in of the centre managers, as well as the longterm sustainability of the project. This workshop provided them with information
about the project and explained what was needed from them, while they were also
capacitated to take ownership.
2. Eco-audits: Following on the initial workshop, eco-audits were done at the various
centres. The scoping audits focused on water, waste, energy and biodiversity at each
of the six EE Centres. The aim was to identify main problems and common concerns
that could be addressed (quick wins), while also consider the long-term needs and
the need for more detailed audits where required. EE Centre managers were pulled
into the process as far as possible, while centre representatives were required to
actively participate in the data gathering so that they can provide input into the ongoing monitoring.
3. Retrofit plans: Feedback was provided to each of the EE Centres so that they could
compile their own retrofit plans. These retrofit plans had to be based on the
outcome of the eco-audits and their specific needs or focus areas. It was important
that the EE Centres compiled their own retrofit plans based on the eco-audit,
because this gave them ownership of the process and also ensured that their needs
and priorities were taken into consideration. It should be noted that all the proposed
retrofits were not implemented due to financial constraints and should be
considered as part of the capital budget.
4. Workshop: The second workshop provided a platform for each of the EE Centres to
showcase what their requirements were for the retrofit. Funding was allocated
based on their motivations. Each centre was also required to compile an
Environmental Policy for their centre, which was reviewed at the second workshop.
The EE Centres were encouraged to place this on a notice board at their centre to
encourage other people to assist them in making it happen.
5. Field trip: To encourage participation in the process and provide them with best
practice, the teams were taken to Intaka Island where they could see an EE Centre
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that was fully functional and state of the art. The participants were very enthusiastic
after this field trip and keen to ensure that their venues were also centres of
excellence.
6. Retrofit: The next step was to implement the retrofit of the EE Centres within the
budget constraints and make recommendations for long-term retrofits. Different
quotes were obtained for the different products and, based on the needs to the
centres, the retrofits were distributed.
7. Monitoring: The implementation was monitored to provide feedback and
recommendations for the retrofit of the other EE Centres in the City. Follow-up was
also done a few months after installation to check on how appropriate the retrofits
were and what else might be needed. Following on the completion of the process,
recommendations were made about the retrofitting of other EE Centres in the City
and other on-going initiatives that need to be considered.
Retrofit items
The following items were purchased for the retrofit of the EE Centres:
•
Hydroboil – 7,5 litre (x6) from Clipper Coffee & Tea
•
OWL Energy Monitor (x8) from Natural Wonder
•
Low-flow showerhead (x22) from Oxygenics
•
Recycling bins, indoors – 46 litres square tops (x48) from Crazy Plastics
•
Recycling bins, paper recycling – 32 litres square tops (x20) from Crazy Plastics
•
Recycling bins, kitchen compost – 12 litres (x10) from Crazy Plastics
•
Worm farm – 145 litre midi tower (x7) from Natural Wonder
•
Electricity box (x1) custom-made
•
Eco Centre registration (x4) with WESSA
In addition, visual communication elements were developed, such as recycling labels for the
bins and stickers with short messages for the toilets, kitchen and offices. Signage was also
developed for the worm farms however this was not implemented due to concerns raised by
the City about the use of “alien” worms in the worm farms.
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Monitoring and evaluation
All the centres received their retrofit items and time to implement these. Six months later a
spot check was done at the centres to see how things were going and the following
comments can be made:
•
Many of the centres were keen, but too busy to keep it up as it was not a core part
of their job description. It is recommended that the facility management (and
specifically monitoring of effective resource management) be included into their job
descriptions.
•
All the centres had compiled an environmental policy for their centre and
presented it at the second workshop, however all the centres did not have it on
display as requested (and required for Eco Centre Green Flag status).
•
Centres had received their electricity monitors, but had not installed them and
were not using them for educational purposes. Assistance was provided with this,
but it should be monitored to see if they are used correctly.
•
The hydroboils were very well received and a great replacement of the old urns in
the different centres. They should however be switched off over weekends or when
not used for a long period of time.
•
Feedback on the low-flow showerheads was fine as there were no complaints,
but they could not provide information around savings.
•
Recycling bins were well received, although it should be stressed that they should
always be used together and not as stand-alone items (i.e. a recycling and nonrecycling bin should be side to side). The paper bins in the offices were being used
effectively; however the biggest problem was the fact that they had to take their
recyclables to a recycling centre. An effort should be made that the recycling is
collected rather than dropped off.
•
A workshop was held with staff on how to make a worm farm so that they can
teach local communities or learners how to do this. Each of the centres received a
worm farm made during this workshop as well as a guide document compiled on
how to make it and how to care for the worms. Unfortunately there has been some
controversy around the type of worms used in the worm farms and thus they have
not been promoted. It would be great if local worms could be sourced for the worm
farms so that this can be an educational tool at the EE Centres.
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•
One electricity box was custom-made for use by the centres for when they go out
to schools. It includes different types of lights and an ammeter to indicate the
amount of electricity used. Although more centres wanted these, they are expensive
and it was decided to only create one initially. This could however be used by other
centres and they could also borrow one from the ERMD environmental education
section if they needed to use one.
•
The branding was a big success! It was easy to implement by the centres, while it
provided a clear message and was complementary to existing initiatives in place. It
was noted that one centre did not use it as stickers, but rather laminated it to ensure
that it lasts longer. Some centres felt that the stickers should have been brighter
(there were two different types for testing) and they wanted to have more stickers.
•
Water meters were also arranged for each of the centres and initial arrangements
were made with the City’s Water Department for installation. During the evaluation
it was noted that they had still not been installed and this is being followed up on
again.
•
There are lots of lights in the EE Centres that can be replaced with more energyefficient lights, although this was costly in terms of the budget available. It is
recommended that budget be made available for this to ensure that all the EE
Centres use energy-efficient lights. About 200 fluorescent tubes are needed, as well
as 50 CFLs. Efficient lighting also needs to be provided for security purposes.
•
Some of the centres were keen to have solar water heaters so that they can use it
for demonstration purposes, as well as for resource management. This is quite a
costly item and will need to be budgeted for in the CAPEX. However it is
recommended that, where solar water heaters are installed, information is provided
about how they work so that this can be included into the educational element at
the EE Centres.
•
The registration fee for the WESSA Eco Centre application was paid as part of this
programme for four centres that managed to submit their forms. It was however
noted that on-going support and encouragement is also needed with this process to
ensure success.
•
It was noted that all the relevant items had not been placed on the City asset
register and it was recommended that this be done for the hydroboils, electricity
monitors and energy box which are all expensive items.
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Lessons learnt
•
There is a big need for the education of staff relating to effective management of
EE Centres, specifically referring to energy efficiency, waste reduction and water
conservation.
•
It is important to get the staff buy-in and they need to actively participate in the
process to get maximum benefit and ensure on-going management.
•
The programme is time consuming and because the EE Centres are busy with their
“usual work” and feel that this is add-on and that sufficient time is not allocated to
this. They should however understand the importance and get support from the
City to ensure better management of the EE Centres. It should be included into the
performance management of the centre managers.
•
It is beneficial to provide EE Centres with interesting opportunities for capacity
building, such as the field trip to Intaka and the workshop on making a worm farm.
This provided additional incentives for participation and they and their centres
benefitted from it.
•
It is time consuming to determine best value for money for retrofits because the
different centres all have different needs. The main items are however listed and
were agreed on through consensus with the EE Centres.
•
It helps to have continuous communication and interaction with the EE Centre
representatives to ensure co-operation and support. It is recommended that this be
included into the monthly meetings that the EE Centres have so that they can
provide monthly feedback and continuous monitoring. On-going support is needed
and it can’t just be a “drop and go”.
•
A process like this always takes longer than anticipated and sometimes this is
necessary to ensure that all the actions are implemented correctly.
•
Small things can make a big difference! The branding is not expensive, yet it was
very effective and assisted the centres to get their messages across.
Way forward
It is recommended that retrofit programmes for EE Centres be rolled out to all the EE
Centres in the City (and ultimately to all facilities). It should include the following elements:
1. An educational element so that facility managers can understand why it is
important and what they need to do. They need to participate in the eco-audit so
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that they can benefit from skills transfer, even if a consultant does the actual audit
at the centre the first time. This requires at least three workshops with the EE
Centres during the roll-out of the project.
2. On-going support and encouragement for the centre representatives about
resource management at the EE Centres – this can be done as part of the monthly
meetings where centres provide feedback to their supervisors (based on the
assumption that the supervisors understand the importance of resource
management at the different facilities).
3. That appropriate branded educational messages be provided to each of the
centres so that it can support the educational messaging at the centres. This should
include simple messages such as “turn off the light”, “close the tap” or “close the
fridge door”, as well as branding for the indoor recycling bins that should be used to
encourage visitors to recycle.
4. Budget should be made available for the following retrofit items for the EE Centres
(the * indicates the most critical items, while a summary of costs is attached at the
end of this document):
•
Hydroboil instead of urns *
•
Low-flow showerheads for all showers *
•
Recycling bins, indoors – 46 litres, square tops *
•
Recycling bins, paper recycling in offices – 32 litres, square tops *
•
Recycling bins, kitchen compost – 12 litres on counter top *
•
Electricity box for mobile use at schools
•
Water points to encourage drinking of tap water
•
Water and electricity meters to encourage monitoring of consumption
•
Solar water heaters instead of electric geysers
•
Energy efficient lights (both fluorescent and CFLs needed)
5. Meetings need to be held with relevant City departments to get their support
and buy-in for resource management at the EE Centres (and other City facilities over
time). It would also be good if the different departments make use of the EE Centres
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for the distribution of their educational information relating to City services such as
energy efficiency, waste reduction or water conservation.
•
Waste department to assist with collection of recyclables at EE Centres and
even consider EE Centres as recycling collection points. Zibi, the waste
mascot, can also be used more effectively at the EE Centres to promote
recycling.
•
Water and electricity department to ensure that appropriate metering is
provided for each of the EE Centres so that they can do their own monthly
monitoring of consumption.
•
Supply chain management to ensure that eco-friendly products are available
from the stores for use in the EE Centres, such as biodegradable cleaning
and chemical products, CFL lights, etc.
•
Transport department to provide suitable non-motorised access routes to the
EE Centres, with appropriate facilities (such as bicycle racks for safe storage
of bicycles).
•
Clarity is also needed around the worm farms because all the centres
indicated that they receive a lot of queries on this and would like to use it as
an educational tool, however the worms that they currently use are not
suitable as they are not indigenous.
Recommendations
1. The programme should be rolled out to all the EE Centres in the City, and
ultimately to all City facilities, specifically facilities used by communities such as
libraries and clinics where educational messages can be incorporated.
2. All the EE Centre managers should provide feedback on a quarterly basis about
their facilities with regards to resource management (waste, water, energy) to
encourage a continuous monitoring system is in place. This should be included into
their performance management / job description to instil a sense of responsibility
around resource management.
3. Effort should be made to ensure that environmentally-friendly products are
available from the City stores for the EE Centres. This should include items such
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as biodegradable soap, recycled toilet paper, CFL lights and other standard items
obtainable through stores.
4. Support should be provided by the City to ensure that the EE Centres can implement
effective waste management programmes. Currently most of the centres need to
take their recycling to a drop off point, whereas the EE Centres should become a
central point for communities to drop off their recycling as part of a City initiative to
integrate City services.
5. Funding (CAPEX) should be made available to ensure large retrofits such as
solar water heaters, light retrofits (fluorescent tubes and security lights), outdoor
recycling points, water points for drinking tap water and even some structural
changes to ensure the use of natural light and ventilation in buildings.
Summary of costs relating to retrofits
Item
Description
Unit cost
Quantity
Cost
Worm farm
Midi tower - 145 litre
R 950
7
R 6,650
Electricity meter
OWL electricity meter
R 1,000
8
R 8,000
Hydroboil (7.5 litre)
36 - 45 cups
R 4,990
6
R 34,132
Eco Centre registration
Registration at WESSA
R 500
4
R 2,000
Smart low-flow showerhead
Oxygenics
R 175
22
R 4,389
Recycling bins for indoors
Square flip top - 46 litres
R 123
48
R 6,720
Recycling bins for paper recycling
Square top - 32 litres
R 95
20
R 2,159
Recycling bins for kitchen compost
Mini flip top - 12 litres
R 42
10
R 479
Energy box
Custom-made for demonstration
R 5,000
1
R 5,700
TOTAL
R 70,228
Notes:
•
The ERMD environmental education section also received a worm farm and electricity meter
for demonstration purposes.
•
The OWL is a great device to showcase energy consumption, but it was felt that the EE
Centres did not use this effectively, considering the cost involved with installation.
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