Member Article

Tees Valley firm scoops green gong

A packaging recovery firm has won a major national award for its pioneering work in achieving zero waste to landfill.

Returnable Packaging Services Limited (RPS), of Maltby, has landed a Gold award at the latest Let’s Recycle Zero Waste Awards.

The company specialises in the recovery for reuse of commercial packaging including pallets and FIBCs (big bags).

Last year RPS saved clients in excess of £1m by enabling reuse of packaging rather than disposal to landfill.

In addition, RPS diverted 650 tonnes of waste from their own site going to landfill, including 550 tonnes of wood waste which was sent to energy recovery biomass plants and 60 tonnes of mixed dry cardboard, paper and plastics that was recycled.

Meanwhile, the firm composts organic waste using a wormery, with any excess organic waste being deposited in a HOTBIN which composts at temperatures of up to 60oC.

The Gold award recognises the group’s commitment to continually improving the way it handles packaging waste while also increasing environmental awareness and responsibility.

Thomas Hudson, marketing and communications manager at RPS, said: “We’re extremely proud of this achievement as it demonstrates our commitment to reducing waste and also to enabling our customers to commit to principles set out in the Waste Framework Directive.

“It is rewarding to be acknowledged with such a prominent national award and reflects the commitment of the entire RPS team, effectively minimising our impact on the environment.”

Judges of the awards were particularly impressed with RPS’s engagement with the local community and with its customers.

In 2012, RPS enabled one major client to successfully divert 1,940 tonnes of wood waste and 160 tonnes of plastic packaging waste from landfill.

The majority of the waste generated by RPS is damaged wooden pallets. Where possible pallets are repaired for reuse, however, pallets unable to be repaired are segregated and sent to local biomass plants for energy recovery.

The Zero Waste Awards were judged by John Holbrow from the Federation of Small Businesses, Sarahjane Widdowson from consultancy Ricardo-AEA, features editor at letsrecycle.com Amy North, and John Woodruff chairman of the National Association of Waste Disposal Officers.

RPS provides a national recovery framework to enable clients to recover their packaging for reuse and at the same time improve their environmental credentials.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .