NEWS PORTAKABIN WINS ZERO WASTE AWARD P
ortakabin has received the highest accolade at the Zero Waste Awards in recognition of its achievements in sustainable waste management.
Portakabin was awarded a prestigious Gold Award – only the 5th time this accolade has been presented since the awards began. The awards, organised by
letsrecycle.com, recognise excellence in waste prevention and re-use, recycling and energy recovery and are open to all organisations in both the public and private sectors. Commenting on this latest success, Derek Carter, Chief Executive
of the Portakabin Group, said, “We are absolutely delighted to receive this award which is a fantastic testament to our staff across the business and at every level – from facilities management to design, building engineering and manufacturing. “We have seen very significant reductions in waste over the past three years as a result of our strong commitment to re-using and recycling materials and by engineering waste-generating operations out of the manufacturing process. To achieve national recognition for this work and our achievements to date gives our customers, staff and suppliers even greater confidence in the sustainability of our approach and our accommodation solutions.”
The Zero Waste Gold Award was presented to Portakabin for its many
recycling initiatives and achievements which include: • Succeeding in its objective of zero waste to landfill at its manufacturing centre in York a year ahead of its December 2013 target
• Setting up 18 different waste streams for recycling materials from metals and timber to vinyl flooring, batteries and cabling
• Using new materials in the manufacture of Portakabin buildings that have a recycled content of 35 per cent
• Designing out the use of painted components, reducing airborne solvent emissions by 20 per cent
• Increasing awareness among staff of the importance of recycling and waste minimisation using ‘tool box talks’ to encourage new ideas, internal newsletters, monthly staff briefings, and training to instil the discipline to recycle
• The recovery of extracted air from the wood working unit and its re-use for heating
• Sawdust and chippings collected and bagged for direct re-use as animal bedding and chipboard production
• Plasterboard off-cuts re-used as soil conditioner • Cooking oil waste to fuel food delivery vehicles • The launch of the new Energy-Saver range to enable Portakabin customers to reduce energy usage by more than 60 per cent, and benefit from some of the UK’s best- performing sustainable buildings. The Zero Waste Awards are sponsored by SAICA NATUR and
Wastecare. For further information about modular buildings for permanent and interim applications, visit
www.portanews.co.uk, email
information@portakabin.co.uk or call 0845 401 0010.
‘GREEN’ HAT-TRICK FOR UNIVERSITY IN NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TABLE
• news • news • news • news • news • news • news • University sites
• increased student participation in the WildVolunteering Bursary Scheme
Environmental efforts at the University of Derby have seen it awarded a First Class ranking in an influential UK universities ‘green’ table – for the third year running. The University has been awarded a First in the People and Planet Green League table, which annually awards degree-style rankings (such as a First or 2:1) for universities’ ethical and environmental activity. Derby has been ranked among the top 50 universities in the rankings every year since it first appeared in 2007. Derby’s major green activities this year have included: • increasing recycling rates to over 65% across all
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• greater levels of engagement with staff and students at both our Derby and Buxton campuses during and following this year’s Go Green Week in February
• achieving ‘Bronze’ standard in the Soil Association’s Food For Life accreditation scheme
• increased the amount of staff pool car mileage travelled in typically lower emission vehicles. The University of Derby’s longer term environmental strategy includes a commitment to a 27% reduction in its carbon emissions (linked to global warming and climate change) resulting from energy usage,
PUBLIC SECTOR SUSTAINABILITY • VOLUME 3 ISSUE 5
transport, water, waste and procurement, by 2020 (based on its 2005 levels). Lynn Richards,
Environmental Manager at the University of Derby, said: “We are delighted to have achieved a First Class award again this year. There are still some areas where we know improvements can be made, and we are working hard with our students and staff to ensure that we make progress year on year. “Anyone interested in finding out more about the University’s environmental activities can log onto our website at
www.derby.ac.uk/ environment.” Louise Hazan, who compiled the People and Planet Green League, added: “The University of Derby thoroughly deserves its First Class ranking this year. It is helping to drive up
Lynn Richards
environmental and ethical standards for the higher education sector as a whole. “We congratulate it on listening to its students, who are quite rightly demanding greener degrees and that the University tackles issues like climate change head-on.”
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