Recycling & Waste Management
Innovative RightCycle Programme
Kimberly-Clark Professional* has launched a pioneering initiative across EMEA that enables cleanroom and laboratory operators to recycle a wide range of used protective garments. This follows a successful launch in the United States earlier this year.
The programme, called RightCycle, makes it easy to dispose of previously hard-to-recycle garments such as coveralls, gloves, hoods, boot covers and hairnets in a sustainable manner. The used items are simply placed in a RightCycle collection box or the operator’s own box. Full boxes are assembled onto pallets and collected by Kimberly-Clark Professional* programme partner TerraCycle.
Launched initially in the UK and Germany as a one-year pilot scheme, RightCycle is the first large-scale recycling solution for this kind of waste, offering companies an opportunity to reduce landfill waste streams and enhance their sustainability efforts. After the used garments are collected, they are turned into raw materials to create eco-friendly consumer products such as plastic chairs. Ruud Sleumer, Customer Marketing Manager at Kimberly-Clark Professional*,
commented: “Our cleanroom and laboratory customers have ambitious sustainability goals, yet often struggle with where and how to get started. Our innovative RightCycle programme offers a powerful and easy way for them to exceed their solid waste reduction goals, while helping to make their workplaces healthier, safer and more productive.”
The RightCycle programme supports the ‘Planet’ pillar of the three-pronged Kimberly-Clark Corporation Sustainability 2015 vision, which also encompasses ‘People’ and ‘Products’.
The Sustainability 2015 strategy engages Kimberly-Clark businesses, brands and employees globally. Under each of the three pillars, the company is working towards meeting a range of demanding targets that will make a major difference to the sustainability of its operations and, potentially, affect millions of people’s lives for the better.
Sustainability 2015 builds on the success of previous Kimberly-Clark Professional* environmental improvement programmes – such as the Vision 2010 initiative, under which the company implemented a number of successful
projects worldwide to improve its performance in key environmental areas. It also widens the focus and scope of the company’s sustainability agenda to integrate elements that sustain and nurture healthy working environments and communities.
Ruud Sleumer said: “The disposal of solid waste by pharmaceutical and other scientific organisations poses considerable challenges for businesses and society. Landfill options are becoming more limited and waste disposal costs continue to rise. The RightCycle programme takes recycling to a new level – beyond downcycling, upcycling and other approaches – by making it easy to recycle pharmaceutical cleanroom and laboratory garments that used to be very difficult to dispose of sustainably.”
Kimberly-Clark Professional* customers can take part in the RightCycle programme. To find out more about the programme, please call +44 (0)1273 853 884 or send an email to
info@kimtech.com. More information on Kimberly-Clark Professional* can be found on its website:
www.kcprofessional.co.uk
Second award for reducing waste
Portakabin, the UK’s leading modular building manufacturer, has won a second national award for its achievements in recycling and waste management. Portakabin has received a Zero Waste Platinum Award at the Awards for Excellence in Waste Management and Recycling 2013. These awards celebrate the trailblazing efforts of businesses and local authorities that show better use of resources and recognise the leaders of innovation in this area.
This latest award follows the company’s success in achieving a Gold Award at the Zero Waste Awards earlier this year. Commenting at the awards ceremony at The Landmark Hotel in London, Channel 4 news presenter and awards host, Jon Snow, said, “These are the success stories of the green agenda. There is no-one in this country who does not know about recycling even if they don’t do it. The finalists show that extraordinary changes are being achieved.”
Derek Carter, Chief Executive of the Portakabin Group, said, “Our teams have made huge progress in the area of recycling and waste management and we were very proud to achieve our target of zero waste to landfill at our manufacturing centre in York a year ahead of schedule. We are therefore delighted that our success in this area has been recognised by such a prestigious national award.” “As a Group, we are genuinely committed to sustainability through our energy-saving and environmental programmes. Our modular building solutions already help our customers to
32 recycling & waste management
reduce energy and minimise the use of natural resources and carbon emissions. We believe such a strong environmental commitment gives our customers the reassurance that choosing Portakabin as a supplier will support their own sustainable sourcing aspirations.”
Portakabin has made significant progress over the past year in a number of areas as part of its commitment to further reducing impact on the environment and after setting itself a series of challenging sustainability targets.
Among its achievements are: • A reduction in carbon output of 7.5 per cent as part of the Government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment. This was principally achieved with a reduction in heating oil consumption, which was down 14 per cent compared to the previous year.
• Further improvements to the waste management process which have included waste streaming and segregation for recycling, with any non-recyclable waste being incinerated for power generation.
• The completion of a formal assessment of the environmental performance of the top 20 suppliers to Portakabin and new targets set for the coming year.
• The development of the new Portakabin Solus and Titan Energy- Saver range which can reduce energy usage by more than 60 per cent, allowing building occupiers to meet more stringent environmental and
carbon reduction targets and reduce running costs. The buildings have been independently assessed and have the capability to achieve an Energy Performance Certificate ‘A’ rating, putting them among the best- performing sustainable buildings in the UK.
Applications for Portakabin modular solutions are diverse and include open plan office accommodation, security buildings, canteens, training suites, showers and changing rooms, health clinics and ward buildings, teaching blocks and even complete schools – for both interim and permanent applications.
Portakabin has the resources to deliver both bespoke projects and standardised accommodation solutions to organisations in public and private sectors, in the most challenging timescales, with less disruption, as well as less impact on the environment.
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 0020.
Building & Facilities Management – September 2013
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