Mirvac, a leading Australian property group, has partnered with Mates on the Move, a certified social enterprise that helps reduce recidivism by providing job opportunities and practical support for people exiting the corrections system.

Mirvac Resource Recovery Manager, Kim Host, said that partnering with Mates on the Move helped the business address an environmental issue, as well as a logistical one.

“We engaged Mates on the Move who now collect and transport problem waste from 19 of our Sydney office buildings and ad-hoc collections from our retail assets.

From our point of view the most remarkable and rewarding aspect working with Mates on the move was being able to help a group of men and women gain access to employment and qualifications via our partnership, when previously they had very little opportunity. We have an ongoing focus on Social Procurement and a target to direct $100 million of our procurement spend to the social sector by 2030.”

With the help of Mates on the Move, an estimated 695 tonnes of waste has been diverted from landfill since 2017. The success of this partnership has seen Mates on the Move now have a long term partnership with Mirvac.

According to Mates on The Move's Lois Dillon, the Mirvac deal was the catalyst for major growth – and more importantly, a greater number of employment opportunities. “Mates on the Move has grown from just servicing 11 Mirvac buildings when we started to over 100 building for numerous corporate clients. We have diversified into multiple waste streams and become sub-contractors of 7 major waste companies.”

“The increase in business has allowed us to grow our team to 10 and this has provided us to create career opportunities within our team.”

For Mirvac, working with Mates on the Move has been seamless. “Their service delivery, reliability, punctuality and reporting are excellent. Over the course of the project, we could see tangible benefits from the partnership, including Mates on the Move’s capacity to grow and extend their influence, and in doing so make a difference for an increasing number of disadvantaged people. Mirvac is genuinely proud to support this social enterprise,” said Kim Host, Resource Recovery Manager, Mirvac.