Celebrating diversity in the journey to Zero Waste – latest round of Zero Waste awards announced

From biotech to retail, an increasingly diverse range of organisations are minimising waste to benefit their business, with the latest round of the Zero Waste Awards announced today by organisers, the Environment Media Group.

Biotechnology development firm Thermofisher Scientific, intu Chapelfield shopping centre in Norwich, and waste management firm Reconomy were honoured in the Gold category of the Zero Waste Awards. A further 33 organisations won Silver, Bronze or Highly Commended awards for their commitment towards waste prevention.

Steve Eminton, editor of letsrecycle.com, from the Environment Media Group, said: “The latest round of the Zero Waste Awards attracted high quality submissions from an increasingly diverse group of entrants. The business benefits of going green are clear, and it’s great to give those projects and key players the recognition they deserve.”

With the next round of the Zero Waste Awards closing on 2nd March, teams working to achieve waste minimisation are encouraged to put themselves forward. The four award levels – gold, silver, bronze and highly commended,  mark the stage of each organisation’s journey to sustainability.

The latest winners of the silver award included M&M Direct, Tetley tea producer Tata Global Beverages and Greater London Authority recycling scheme, FoodSave.

Eminton continued: “Winning an award shows partners, customers and investors that business sustainability and environmental sustainability go hand in hand.”

The ongoing awards scheme celebrates the most innovative and successful initiatives from anyone who produces or processes waste in the private and public sectors, as well as those in community groups and charities.

The awards were designated by a panel of waste prevention experts during a day of judging which took place towards the end of 2014.

‘High standard’

Sarahjane Widdowson of Ricardo-AEA, who sat as one of the judges on the panel, said: “Congratulations to all of the entrants to the Zero Waste Awards, the standards were incredibly high and it was fantastic to see so many organisations going the extra mile to achieve zero waste.”

Golden examples

US-based Thermofisher Scientific submitted its Inchinnan multi mix manufacturing and distribution facility for the awards, which produces ‘cell culture media and synthetic Oligo-Nucleotides for the LSG division’. A recent external audit by Valpal confirmed that the site had a 100% landfill diversion rate, and a recycling rate of 87%.

The firm caught the judges’ attention with its annual commitment to Earth Day and work with waste vendor Wm Tracey. The firm ‘went the extra mile’ to prove its commitment to increased recycling, reuse and energy recovery.

Meanwhile, the intu Chapelfield shopping centre was branded a ‘refreshing’ private sector entry, which boasted impressive sorting of waste streams, close engagement with tenants and shoppers, and an innovative scheme to provide training opportunities for serving prisoners in the area.

And, Reconomy was lauded for partnering with hotel chain Travelodge, developing a reuse and recycling scheme to collect around 1,500 unwanted sofa beds from across the UK for the British Heart Foundation.

The charity has so far made in the region of £75,000 from the scheme – which is being reinvested into the communities that local BHF stores support.

The broader benefits of being recognised through the Zero Waste Awards include:

• Financial savings by reducing waste and learning new ways to manage materials
• Being seen to be green by your customers, supply chain, and peers with the zero waste stamp of approval
• Networking with like-minded individuals and being part of Club Zero

The next round of award entries closes on 2 March, with the recognition luncheon taking place on 9 April 2015. Held at the 12th Century Coombe Abbey in Warwickshire, this is an opportunity for leaders to network and share best practice with a diverse crowd of experts. From factories to hospitals, community centres and charity groups, everyone has a story to tell of their journey towards Zero Waste.

The awards are sponsored by Saica Natur and Wastecare, with Ceris Burns International as the PR partnership sponsor. For more information about Zero Waste and the Zero Waste Awards, visit www.zerowasteawards.com

The Environment Media Group: Providing modern and effective solutions to tackling climate change requires information of the highest quality. To meet this need, the independently-owned Environment Media Group was created in 2000. The group provides freely-available topical news reports, legislative updates and a range of events for all those involved in delivering on the challenges faced in moving to a low carbon economy. The company’s core product is letsrecycle.com covering the recycling and waste management sector. We also run a range of events and provide recruitment services through letsrecruit.com.