Press Release 22 November 2010

Innovation and partnership steal the show at the CIWM Environmental Excellence Awards

A wide range of companies across the industrial spectrum, as well as councils, public sectors organisations and individuals, have won top honours at the 2010 Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) Awards for Environmental Excellence, which recognise and reward companies that have introduced successful measures to reduce their environmental impact through more sustainable waste and resource management.

The winners were announced at the Marriott London Grosvenor Square hotel yesterday, at an awards ceremony hosted by journalist and news reader Kate Silverton. The judging panel for the awards included Dr Liz Goodwin, chief executive of the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Owen Jenkins, director of CIRIA, John Ingham, environment editor of the Daily Express, and Simon Chapman of the Freight Transport Association.

Sustainable Product Development: Affresol Ltd

Affresol Ltd was set up in 2007 to develop a new process that produces a structural building product from mixed plastic and mineral waste that would otherwise have gone to landfill. The Thermo Polymerized Rock (TPR™) is produced using a low energy cold process and has so far been used to construct prefabricated and modular buildings and sectional garages.

Sustainable Construction & Demolition Project: Interlink M74 Joint Venture

The Interlink M74 Completion Project will form a key part of the access infrastructure for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014. To date, the project has recycled 81% of all waste arisings and the requirement for a net import of 2.7 million tonnes of structural fill material was achieved using secondary aggregates, including crushed demolition material from notable landmarks in the surrounding area, crushed concrete and Pulverised Fuel Ash. In addition, some 86,000 tonnes of highly contaminated land has been remediated and re-used on-site.

Community Recycling Champion: John Brierley, Friends of St Nicholas Fields

John is the manager of social enterprise The Friends of St Nicholas Fields, and has developed a low carbon operation which combines recycling and waste prevention activities with environmental education programmes for the local community. Since the establishment in 2004 of the York Rotters, which helps local people begin home composting, over 90 volunteers have been trained. The group has worked with 34 primary schools and given advice to over 9,000 residents. The enterprise has also set up a kerbside recycling service that has diverted 2,115 tonnes of recyclable waste since 2001.

Sustainable Facilities Management Performance: Hills Waste Solutions & Honda

Working closely with its supply chain and Hills Waste Solutions, Honda of the UK Manufacturing Ltd (HUM) has attained its target of 'zero waste to landfill' at its operation in Swindon, Wiltshire. Using the Waste Hierarchy as a framework, the partnership initiative has resulted in significant waste reduction and a recycling rate of more than 95%. Only a very small amount, less than 5%, is sent for energy recovery. Overall, the amount of waste sent to landfill has been reduced from 71kg/car to zero, diverting an average of nearly 4,000 tpa from landfill since 1994.

Vehicle, Plant and Equipment: Gum Clear

The award went to Gum Clear for its CC R3000, a self-contained unit for the clearance of chewing gum from high streets, urban pedestrian areas and public spaces. Designed and manufactured by the South Coast company, it cleans upwards of 200 metres of pavement an hour, lifting and removing as many as 8,000 pieces of gum in the process.

Innovative Practice in Waste Management and Resource Recovery (SME): Recofloor

September 2010 marks the first anniversary of the nationwide launch of Recofloor, the UK's first vinyl flooring recycling scheme. Founded by UK flooring manufacturers Altro

and Polyflor to tackle growing volumes of waste sent to landfill, Recofloor is managed by resource recovery specialist Axion Consulting. In the past 12 months, the initiative has collected and recycled 155 tonnes of smooth and safety vinyl off-cuts and uplifted smooth vinyl flooring. Around 175 tonnes is projected for the coming year, representing a 15% increase year on year.

Innovative Practice in Waste Management and Resource Recovery: Wandsworth Borough Council & PyroPure

Wandsworth Council and PyroPure Ltd have been working in partnership to establish the technical feasibility of using small on-site pyrolysis units for residual waste at domestic premises. The entry concludes that the trial represents the first successful demonstration of the safe on-site destruction of waste from a highrise apartment block, showing the potential for a new approach to the management of waste in urban areas.

Recycling Performance of the Year (SME): RDC

Scooping the award in the SME category, RDC is a business specialising in the remarketing and recycling of used computers. The company's new Recycling Department opened in 2009 and reclaims components from waste computers, recycling 350 tonnes of material for re-use, ranging from foam packaging and general waste to CDs and batteries. This year, the company achieved its zero landfill ambitions, and is now also earning money from the materials it is reclaiming.

Recycling Performance of the Year: JD Wetherspoon and DHL Supply Chain

JD Wetherspoon, a freehouse chain with over 780 pubs, has worked closely with DHL to improve its overall environmental sustainability. DHL's National Distribution Centre in Daventry acts as a hub for reclaiming materials from the chain's various locations, and as a result, paper recycling has increased by 186 tonnes since 2006 and used cooking oil is converted into bio diesel. There have also been increases in the recycling levels of aluminium and glass, and at present 89% of cardboard is returned for baling into mill size bales which are then collected and processed in mills in both the UK and overseas.

Health and Safety Award: Veolia Environmental Services

As part of its health and safety culture, Veolia has introduced a range of training programmes to influence people's behaviour while carrying out their normal work activities. It has also developed the innovative Risk Assessment Expert (RAE), a 3D crash test dummy character that highlights in an easy to understand way the various health and safety hazards in the workplace. Once a year, the company organises a series of programmes and events that support International Health and Safety Day and achieved an overall 31% reduction in lost time incidents in 2009.

Communications Award: Hull City Council

Hull City Council's communications campaign supported the launch of a new recycling and waste collection service in 2009. The direct mail campaign was largely image-based to help cater for low literacy levels in a city with high deprivation levels, and 99% of residents thought that the information pack was easy to use.

ENDS

More information on all the winners can be found at [LINK] and high resolution photographs of the award winners are available by emailing pat.jennings@ciwm.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

1. The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) is the leading professional body for the waste management sector representing over 7000 individuals in the UK and overseas. Established in 1898, CIWM is a non profit-making organisation, dedicated to the promotion of professional competence amongst waste managers. CIWM seeks to raise standards for those working in and with the sector by producing best practice guidance, developing educational and training initiatives, and providing information on key waste-related issues. Comprehensive information about CIWM can be found at www.ciwm.co.uk

2. Now in their fourth year, the CIWM Awards for Environmental Excellence recognise and reward best practice in the sustainable management of waste and resources and reduction of environmental impact, both within the resources and wastes industry and across a range of other commercial sectors including retail, construction and facilities management.

Contacts:

Pat Jennings

CIWM Communications Manager

Tel: 01604 620426

Mob: 07912 228260

E-mail: pat.jennings@ciwm.co.uk