It took a while coming, but summer definitely seems to be here at the moment, so we hope you have been able to take advantage of the sun after all the rain. Here at WTC Amsterdam, we’re making the most of it too. If you have not been here for a while, you may not have seen the new rainbow stairs linking Zuidplein with the Strawinskylaan. And if you are looking for a place to eat outside, don’t forget your favourite WTC Amsterdam haunts are open for business as well.
A LOAD OF OLD RUBBISH?
WTC Amsterdam has big ambitions when it comes to collecting waste – we’re actually hoping to get rid of most of it by encouraging tenants to recycle as much as they can! So we are asking tenants if we can have a dig through their bins to find out what they should not be throwing away.
How much should you be throwing away?
Reducing the amount of rubbish for disposal is a key part of WTC Amsterdam’s plans to become even more environmentally aware. So to help tenants reduce the amount of residual waste they produce, the WTC facilities team is offering tenants a rubbish scan. They’ll pick up one bag of what the Dutch call ‘restafval’ – the residual waste that can’t be recycled – and go through it to see how much more could be placed in the appropriate recycling bins.
So far, 132 rubbish bins have been gone through to help tenants reduce the amount of waste they throw away. Surprisingly over 80% of the contents of the bins could have been recycled after all. Drinks cartons, metal and plastic accounted for 22% of the waste which could have been recycled, organic waste 21% and paper for a further 30%.
‘We’re offering tenants more insight into what they are throwing away,’ says facility manager Marc Claassen. ‘If we all work together, we can get closer to meeting our targets.’
Taking part in a scan is completely voluntary and if you want to keep an eye on the process, you are welcome to take part. Contact WTC Servicepoint for more information or watch out for the new mailing from Ecosmart. Once all the scans have been completed, Ecosmart will produce a more in depth analysis for all tenants.
LIFTING YOUR SPIRITS
You might like to know that after a successful experiment in A Tower at the end of last year, all the lifts in the WTC Amsterdam complex are to be fitted with special systems which not only provide proper ventilation, but clean the air as well. The trials showed the new system dramatically reduces the amount of fine particles and aerosols in the lifts – by as much as 94% in some cases!
THE THREE DAY COMMUTE?
Coronavirus has changed the way those of us working at the office are getting to Zuidas work as well. And research by the Zuidas mobility taskforce has revealed that three quarters of you want to work at home at least one day a week after the pandemic is over.
Back to the office? Not every day, survey finds
Every year the Zuidas mobility taskforce looks into how workers get to and from the office and this year was no exception – even though most people are actually working from home.
In total 1,100 Zuidas workers took part in the survey and asked about how they experienced their daily commute. On average, respondents gave their commute a score of 7.6 out of 10, but this is partly because the roads were quieter for both motorists and cyclists. Coronavirus also impacted on travelling by train, with more people opting to drive than to use public transport. Of those of you who do drive, three-quarters have a parking space provided by their employer (lucky you).
Once things return to normal, half of you are willing to travel outside normal office hours, but just 17% say you want to work full time in the office again. The most popular choice, backed by a third of the respondents, is to work two days at home and three in the office. At the moment, just 20% of Zuidas workers are commuting.
TOWER TEN ALERT
Work on Tower Ten is continuing over the summer, and it will open for business in 2022. So, if you are thinking about moving to a new office within WTC Amsterdam, this might be the time to take action. Find out more about the offices on offer here. In the meantime, if you want to watch how Tower Ten is taking shape, you can monitor progress by webcam. The construction team reached the high point of the project – 80 metres from the ground – on June 1.
WHAT’S ON
If you’ve missed your regular dose of WTC Amsterdam art, there are two new exhibitions running over the summer period. Documentary photographer Sandra Hazenberg’s work is on show in Central Hall and the corridor to Lobby H/I. And you won’t be able to miss the colourful textile sculptures created by Saar Scheerlings either.
There is more art on the way as well. Art Zuid returns to Zuidas in September, so keep an eye open for special events relating to this ever innovative sculpture walk.
And for all those of you who have been asking: Yes, the pub quiz will return as soon as we are back at the office in sufficient numbers!
ANOTHER EXCUSE TO GO SHOPPING
From September, Zuidas will have its very own market – on the Gershwinplein on the southern side of the district. It’s a pilot to test demand and will start on September 2 for a six month period. The move is all part of city council efforts to boost the amenities in Zuidas. The number of stalls has been fixed at 30 with a primary focus on food.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Hopefully by the autumn, we’ll be able to really get back to normal and enjoy those vrimibos in De Blauwe Engel or Ox & Bucks, and meet each other in the flesh again. In the meantime, you can still keep in touch via our social media channels. Please visit us on Facebook, LinkedIn and on Instagram.
Cheers,
WTC Amsterdam