How to shop mindfully every day at Macarthur Square

Every year on 5 June, people around the globe come together to celebrate World Environment Day, an event devoted to increasing awareness and inspiring action to protect our planet. Celebrated in over 100 countries, the day shines a light on the environmental challenges we face and the actions we can take to conserve and restore the Earth.

This year, the rallying cry for World Environment Day is, “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration.” This theme highlights a collective commitment to restoring degraded landscapes, combating desertification and building resilience against drought. It’s a call to action for communities worldwide to revive their natural environments, making sure their land stays healthy and sustainable for future generations.

Today, we share how we’re playing our part in change and share practical tips to help you shop mindfully and make choices that are good for you and even better for our planet. 

Mindful shopping is simpler than it sounds and can have a big impact on the environment by conserving resources and eliminating the single-use waste that pollutes our oceans and waterways. Here are some everyday actions you can take to contribute to a brighter future for people and our planet.

• Use public transport or carpool: Reduce your carbon footprint even further by using public transport, walking, riding or carpooling to the shopping centre.
• Recycle and reuse: Recycle old electronics, clothing and other materials instead of throwing them away. Many of our retailers offer recycling stations to make this quick and easy for you. Recycle your cosmetics packaging at MECCA, old toys at Big W, wetsuits at Ripcurl and much more! 

• Use refill stations: Reduce plastic waste by replenishing products like detergents, soaps and shampoos using refill stations available. 
• Buy durable goods: Invest in high-quality products that will last longer rather than cheaper alternatives that you might need to replace more frequently.
• Check for sustainability certifications: Look for certifications like Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance or Organic to ensure that products meet specific environmental and ethical standards.
• Donate unused items: Instead of discarding items that are no longer needed, donate them to charity shops or your local community centre.
• Limit online orders: Combine your online orders to reduce delivery and collect trips, and choose green shipping options where possible.

By adopting these mindful shopping habits, you can play your part in reducing waste and contributing to environmental conservation across the globe. 

As a Lendlease centre, we’re dedicated to pioneering better business practices that benefit people and the planet. All Lendlease centres have committed to setting benchmarks for corporate responsibility by aiming to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2025 and Absolute Zero Carbon by 2040 without relying on carbon offsets. 

But we won’t stop there. At Macarthur Square, our commitment to sustainability extends from the awareness efforts of The Good Day Collective to tangible programs and practices that make a real difference, including:

Rainwater collection

A 250,000L storage tank is located beneath our centre, collecting rainwater to use in the centre’s toilet and irrigation systems. An additional 90,000L of rainwater is captured in Dock 11, collecting rainwater and replacing water-cooled woks with air-cooled alternatives, saving an estimated 25 million litres of water annually. 

Water conservation

We’ve established a permanent monitoring system to monitor water flows daily in the hopes of achieving a 50% reduction in water consumption

In addition to this, each Lendlease centre is equipped with a cardboard and organic waste disposal system. 

Learn more about Lendlease’s sustainability approach, and stay tuned for further updates.  

Coffee Cup Recycling Program

Australians use approximately 1 billion disposable coffee cups each year. To combat this growing waste problem, we’ve partnered with Simply Cups to offer coffee cup recycling through dedicated Coffee Cup Recycling Bins throughout the centre.