FCC Environment UK has received three highly prized accolades at the tenth annual Zero Waste Awards, a classic UK event organised by recycling and waste management specialist Letsrecycle as part of the Resource & Waste Management Expo (RWM), held last week in Birmingham, United Kingdom. 

The Zero Waste Awards are presented annually to promote and recognise initiatives carried out by companies in the sector to minimise, reduce and prevent the generation of waste. 

FCC Environment secured a first accolade for its innovative Reuse Drop Off at Swanton Road in Norwich. Over the last nine months, in partnership with the Benjamin Foundation, a charity that provides social and economic support to children, young people and families in Norfolk and Suffolk, the centre has generated £195,000 of social value (around €226,150) and repaired and reintroduced 157 refrigerators to the market, an unprecedented success in breathing new life to items that would otherwise be thrown away. 

The second award was received for the company's overall approach to Repair and Reuse processes, which are essential to avoid emissions and reduce energy and resource consumption by extending the life of items and averting the manufacture of new ones. With facilities such as 'Repair Cafes' and permanent reuse shops and pop ups, and initiatives put in place to meet local needs, in 2022 these locations turned over £2.36 million (€2.74 million), avoiding 2,514 tonnes of waste, an increase of over 38.8% in revenue and 809 tonnes of items reused, over 47% when compared to 2021. 

The third prize went to a bag splitting project in partnership with Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council. For local authorities, which already achieve good recycling rates (77%), identifying and introducing further recycling initiatives at Household Waste Recycling Sites (HWRSs) can be a challenge. Thanks to this project, an additional 736 tonnes of waste was diverted into recyclable streams in 2022, equivalent to the weight of four Boeing 747 jumbo jets.