The theme of this year’s Global Recycling Day is all about celebrating #recyclingheroes – those people who champion recycling, spurring others on to do the same. Here, CIWM picks its top three Recycling Heroes.
Who they are:
Rype Office is an office furniture remanufacturing and design company that uses a science-led, circular economy approach to create low cost, beautiful and sustainable offices.
What they do:
Rype Office help organisations throughout the UK create sustainable office spaces by remanufacturing high quality used furniture to as-new condition and creating unique and exciting furniture from post-consumer waste.
Through their circular economy approach, Rype Office are able to reduce waste by remanufacturing used furniture and creating new pieces from waste materials. Remanufacturing results in an item that looks and performs as new but has an 80% reduced footprint and is less than half the list price of a new item.
Their approach helps to address the 300 tonnes of office furniture going to landfill every working day in the UK. Rype Office also works to deliver social value by employing local long-term unemployed and disabled staff on large projects.
Why they’re CIWM’s #RecyclingHero:
Here at CIWM, it is our mission to ‘influence, inform and inspire the sustainable management of resources and waste’ and, by working with Rype Office, we were able to demonstrate our commitment to this cause during our recent office move in May 2019.
Throughout our move, we worked closely with Rype Office to create a ‘Circular Office’ furnished with a mixture of recycled carpet tiles, remanufactured furniture, and custom pieces made from post-consumer recycled waste plastic, such as table tops made from yoghurt pots, kitchen chopping boards and black plastic bin bags.
As a result of our approach, we were able to divert 2.6 tonnes of furniture from landfill, saving 7.6 tonnes of CO2e.
Rype Office said:
“We’re absolutely delighted to be named one of CIWM’s Recycling Heroes. It’s a fantastic accolade given CIWM’s extensive expertise in the field of sustainability and waste avoidance. CIWM were a pleasure to work with during their office move; it was great to have a client who shares our ethos and passion for the circular economy.
“Our collaborative relationship enabled us to create a unique, beautiful and sustainable space on a tight budget.”
Who they are:
Tina is the Technical Services Manager for CIWM.
What they do:
Tina is a stalwart in the resources sector and an integral part of the CIWM team. She is responsible for managing our special interest groups, and collating responses to consultations in the sector.
Why they’re CIWM’s #RecyclingHero:
Tina doesn’t get the recognition she deserves. She works tirelessly to ensure that the advice and support our members receive is correct and timely. She worked hard during the office move to ensure that we diverted as much furniture as possible from landfill.
Within the office, if we ever have any queries about what we can do with a certain resource or material, Tina is our go-to person with all the answers!
CIWM has to show that it can do what it tells others to do. CIWM separates recycling as best it can working in a combined office and encourages employees to participate in extra schemes by collecting crisp packets and dropping them off to recycling points.
CDs are recycled with a local company and WEEE is separated from residual, along with batteries.
Tina said:
“CIWM has to show that it can do what it tells others to. CIWM separates recycling as best it can working in a combined office and encourages employees to participate in extra schemes by collecting crisp packets and dropping them off to recycling points. CDs are recycled with a local company and WEEE is separated from residual, along with batteries.
“Recycling is easy if you take a few minutes to think about what you have and the impact you would create if you do not put the Right Waste in the Right Place.”
Who they are:
Bob is a twelve year old school-goer with a passion for recycling.
What they do:
Bob is passionate about waste management, recycling and making a difference – whether at his school and home in Northumberland, or in the wider community.
Why they’re CIWM’s #RecyclingHero:
Bob turned heads when he visited the RWM Expo in September last year (2019) after his father got in contact with CIWM to see if Bob could attend. Despite the age for being able to get tickets for the event being 18 years old, CIWM was thrilled to help make this future waste manager’s dream come true.
Bob has been an intregral part of changing the recycling culture at his school after he was shocked to find there was no real recycling going on. He got involved and the school brought in clear recycling bags and, after a meeting with the waste contractor, organised new recycling bins, food waste bins, waste collection schedules and contracts. That led to a huge increase in recycling and saving for the school of around £1000 a year.
Outside school, Bob encourages recycling wherever he goes, as well as at his scout groups and camps. He even helped arrange visits to Suez’s local recycling facilities to see how it’s all done.
Bob said:
“I’ve been interested in recycling since I was three or four years old, when my dad explained what went into the different bins. I followed the binmen around the estate, and that evolved into my interest in everything to do with waste management.
“I definitely want to have a career in waste management, high up in one of the big companies preferably, making decisions on how to do things better and helping to make sure we do what’s best for the environment.”
