Community

A revolutionary oil management system used by a local Perth company has saved the equivalent of more than 200 new growth trees and 300,000 litres of water in 2019/2020 alone at Crown’s Melbourne property.
 
Oil2U started in Perth where it supplied Crown’s Perth operations with premium 100% Australian canola oil in the early 2000’s before expanding to the eastern seaboard where it also services Crown’s Melbourne operations. The partnership has expanded to the point where Oil2U now provides Crown with over 560,000 litres of purified high stability cooking oil per annum, free of dangerous hexane.
 
In line with Crown’s commitment to improve the overall sustainability performance of its business across its three major focus areas - energy efficiency, water conservation and waste reduction - the packaging and waste involved with the delivery of fresh cooking oil was identified by Crown as an opportunity to reduce wastage and the landfill contribution of its large operations in Melbourne and Perth.
 
To produce one tonne of cardboard for the packaging of oil requires 1,438 litres of crude oil, over 26,000 litres of water and 17 new growth trees. So when sourcing oil in large volumes, as Crown needs to do to service its many restaurants and banqueting facilities, this amounted to a significant 12 tonnes of cardboard packaging throughout the course of a year – meaning 17,852 litres of crude oil, 211 new growth trees and 328,929 litres of water.
 
Crown and Oil2U identified this packaging waste as something they could work together to reduce. Together they have evolved their single supply arrangement to a specialised and revolutionary Total Oil Management (TOM) system; a complete end-to-end closed loop solution that manages the delivery and supply of fresh cooking oil as well as the storing, handling and recycling of used cooking oil – without the need for excessive cardboard packaging. Since its introduction in Melbourne in 2019, the TOM system has enabled Crown to eliminate the need for 12 tonnes of cardboard packaging, and also stop 85.41m3 of ancillary packing waste going to landfill – that’s enough waste to fill a backyard swimming pool four times over.
 
Now in 2020, one year after Oil2U commenced in Melbourne, Crown is proud to support the acquisition of Oil2U’s latest advancement and welcome their new ‘Boss Truck’ to the property. This new truck runs on solar electricity collected from the truck, so is a lighter and more efficient setup that will continue to reduce Crown’s environmental footprint by halving the amount of carbon emitted across Crown’s properties. 
 
Further, the state-of-the-art equipment is well engineered and regularly updated with no exhaust or emissions from diesel powered pumping systems, improving the health and safety of staff who interact with it.
 
“Crown is committed to reducing its carbon footprint across its operations and partnering with like-minded independent Australian businesses in our supply chain, and the ongoing partnership we have with Oil2U reflects that” said Crown Resorts Group Sustainability Manager, Kristy Rogan.
 
“We are pleased to continue working alongside Oil2U, which has provided safe, ethical and sustainable cooking oil solutions for Crown and its customers” added Kristy.
 
The supply arrangement between Oil2U and Crown is testament to what can be achieved when like-minded organisations work together to pursue truly ethical, innovative, safe and sustainable solutions that have a positive impact on the immediate consumer as well as the community more broadly.

Group Disability Employment Program Manager for Crown Resorts, Ian Tsolakis, gave us 5 minutes of his time to share his passion for supporting people with a disability and to talk us through new commitments from CROWNability.

Here, Ian shares how the Crown community can support the journey to fostering an inclusive culture across all three of Crown’s properties in Australia.
 
What was your career pathway to your role as Group Program Manager for CROWNability at Crown Resorts? 
One of the early catalysts for my passion and interest in working with people with disability began eighteen years ago when I commenced employment at Mission Australia as a Business Development Manager. In this role, I worked closely with employers and community networks to find employment solutions for people with disability. It was empowering to see the impact that employment made to someone’s life.  I realised that gaining employment meant so much more than a ‘job’ for people with disability. I truly believe every person is employable. Gaining employment creates hope, as well as a sense of purpose and worth for people with disability.
 
Following my time at Mission Australia, I gained employment with the Work Focus Group where I became familiar with the Federal Government’s Disability Service Employment Contracts. Knowing the demands of these programs, I realised there must be a better way for businesses requiring talent to access people with disability wanting to earn an income. It was this thinking that became a reality when I joined Crown in 2014 as Group Disability Employment Manager – CROWNability.
 
What are the biggest challenges that people with disability currently face in Australia? 
Some of the biggest challenges that people with disability currently face in Australia include:
 

• People with disability remain heavily under-represented in the Australian workforce.
• Research shows that many people with disability are not receiving enough support in the workplace from employers.
• Community and social environments are not accessible for people with disability.
• A lack of understanding and awareness of how to live and work with people with disability in the community.

The CROWNability action plan is making positive change in these areas.
 
What has Crown and the CROWNability program done to support people facing these challenges? 
We developed an employment program to increase the participation of people with disability into our workforce using a five pillar employment model. Our CROWNability Team is dedicated to providing post-placement support to employees of the program, their managers, and to their families outside of work to ensure we can retain talent working in our business. Our post-placement strategy at Crown ensures employees are supported while they are working and developing their career. In addition, we have formed strong relationships and partnerships with Disability Employment Service (DES) providers to maximise the amount of support we can provide to an employee, both through the recruitment and selection process, and on the job. We are also ensuring our capital assets are accessible and inclusive.
 
What does the program aim to achieve at Crown’s newest property, Crown Sydney?  
Our primary goal is to create disability confidence at Crown Sydney by increasing the participation of people with disability through employment opportunities and ultimately, to build meaningful careers. Further, we will also work to educate our partners and other disability employment providers to ensure we continue to attract and develop our people. The key to sustainability of these employment opportunities is effective post-placement support. The opportunities in NSW will help CROWNability advance our footprint in the disability market and broader community.
 
What can we all do to support people with disability? 
Based on the success of the CROWNability program changing the lives of over 550 people through employment, I want everyone to know that our thinking as a society must change. It’s important for everyone to support inclusive practices for people with disability. Our everyday conversations must remove the barriers that prevent us moving forward to a disability confident society. Working towards an accessible future is everyone’s responsibility.
 
Tell us about the new Changing Places facilities at Crown Resorts and what it means for people with disability?  
Accessible adult changing facilities, more commonly known as Changing Places, are unisex public toilets designed for people who cannot use standard universal access toilets. Changing Places are intended for use by people with disability who generally require assistance by a support person. Changing Places provides suitable facilities for people with disability including an adult sized changing table, ceiling hoist, a peninsular toilet and additional circulation space to meet the needs of people with complex disabilities, and their carers. The Changing Places facility at Crown Resorts further advances Crown’s commitment to provide an accessible and inclusive environment for people with disability. As part of a national plan across all Crown properties, the Perth facility will be the first to open in the coming weeks.
 
How is Crown Resorts leading the way in supporting people with a disability? 
Our organisation is playing a leading role in changing the perceptions and attitudes of people with disability to create a culture of access and inclusion for all.

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