A further 36 businesses, community organisations and local authorities claimed Silver, Bronze or Highly Commended awards for their achievements in waste prevention, reuse and recycling. For a full list of winners see the table below.
Organised by letsrecycle.com, the awards scheme is open to all groups from the private and public sectors as well as communities and charities – anyone who produces or processes waste.
The latest judging day for the awards, which are sponsored by SAICA Natur and WasteCare, took place on Wednesday (March 12).
Printing business Seacourt, Procter & Gamble, Graham Construction, KP Snacks and FareShare were among the recipients of the Gold awards alongside Mitie Waste & Environmental Services, Burnt Tree Vehicle Rental, lan Hair Design and Total Reuse.
Commenting on the entries, one of the judges John Holbrow, of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: We are very encouraged by the quantity and quality of the entries that we received. We are particularly encouraged by the innovation shown by some of the organisations that have entered and we would like to congratulate everyone on their hard work.
Mitie
Pharmaceutical company Dr Reddys work with Mitie was among the recipients of a Gold Zero Waste Award. Mitie has been managing the waste produced at Dr Reddys Mirfield manufacturing site in West Yorkshire since 2010 with focus mainly on hazardous waste (mostly solvents and aqueous solutions) from the production plant and recyclables from the office.
In partnership, the businesses found new disposal routes for previously unrecovered non-aqueous waste which is now biologically treated and turned into solid cakes for aggregates. A lot of work was also undertaken on waste prevention and reuse with the solvents being bulked in large re-sealable containers rather than 25 litre kegs which reduces the number of journeys and kegs needed. The drums are also reused rather than being sent for hazardous waste treatment.
The judges praised the partnership for its impressive work on a difficult waste stream which has seen an increase in recycling rates to 93% across bulk waste streams, a significant increase from 20% in 2011.
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble has over 160 facilities in over 40 countries, with 11 sites in the UK. As of February 2014 10 out of the 11 UK sites have achieved zero waste to landfill with the final site expected to achieve this by the end of the year.
The judges were impressed with P&G’s dedication to reducing the amount of waste generated at its sites and diverting it from landfill. Its work on reducing packaging was also noted, for example the new Gillette Fusion ProGlide packaging saw a 57% reduction in plastic use and a 20% reduction in gross weight per pack compared to previous models.
FareShare
Food distribution charity FareShare was awarded a Gold Zero Waste Award for its work distributing surplus food to more than 1,000 charities across the UK. Between February 2013 and January 2014 the organisation received 5,100 tonnes of surplus food which would otherwise have gone to waste.
We are very encouraged by the quantity and quality of the entries that we received. We are particularly encouraged by the innovation shown by some of the organisations that have entered and we would like to congratulate everyone on their hard work.
– John Holbrow, FSB
In June 2013 supermarket chain Asda announced plans to give 1,500 tonnes of surplus food to FareShare each year (see letsrecycle.com story).
FareShare was praised for its work in diverting valuable resources from landfill and helping those in need. The judges felt its contracts with Asda and Tesco demonstrated the scope and impact of the organisation, making it a worthy recipient of a Gold award.
Total Reuse
Through its work with the University of Liverpool, community interest company Total Reuse helped to divert 650 tonnes of waste from landfill with 85.4% of items recovered being reused. With its three departments Total Clearance, The Tool Shed and Glass Works
Total Reuse helps to clear properties varying from houses, student accommodation and commercial premises with the items collected (furniture, curtains, small electrical items etc) sent to local charities and organisations for distribution. Those which require some repair are sent to The Tool Shed.
The judges praised Total Reuses work within the community as well as its partnership approach.
Recognition
If you think your organisation is worthy of recognition simply prepare and submit your own entry to the Zero Waste Awards. The awards are open to any organisation or business based in the UK or overseas and full entry criteria and details can be found on the Zero Waste Awards website. The deadline for entries for the next round of judging is May 30 2014.
All organisations who receive a Zero Waste Award will be invited to attend the annual recognition luncheon. Recipients of a Gold Zero Waste Award will receive further recognition for their commitment to reducing waste to landfill, by being automatically entered into the Zero Waste Champion category at the Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management.
Table shows winners from seventh judging round.
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