International Green Apple Awards for Environmental Best Practice 2018

SWRnewstar and it’s Property Managment partners have won three Green Apple Environment Awards in the national campaign to find the greenest individuals, companies, councils and communities. 

They competed against more than 800 other nominations in the Green Apple Awards for Environmental Best Practice with their projects:

• iScene Leisure, Ilford won the Gold Environment Award
• Prince Bishop Shopping Centre, Durham won the Bronze Environment Award
• Moor House, London won the Bronze Environment Award

They were each presented with their trophy and certificate at a glittering presentation ceremony hosted by Liz Kendall MP at the Houses of Parliament on November 12th, 2018.

In awarding the Gold Apple the judges highlighted: 

“When SWRnewstar took over the waste management of this Ilford leisure complex, they found many ways to save waste costs and improve recycling rates. Simply by installing a compactor they have reduced costs by near £45,000 and reduced collections by 60%.”

About the "Not Your Average Bishop" project the judges commented: 

“The Prince Bishop Shopping Centre in Durham is, as Father Ted would say, Not your average bishop; especially when it comes to recycling. A thorough audit last year highlighted that great gains could be had with minimal expenditure, simply through improved signage and better staff training. These and other measures have seen savings adding up to £2500 in well under a year.”

The judges identified that at Moor House: 

“This partnership looked at waste through the eyes of a CSR project. By introducing coffee cup and coffe pod recycling they saved enough money to justify cigarette recycling too, as well as batteries. These novel waste streams have saved tons of waste, enhanced the local environment, and produced healthy cost reductions.”

Jo Gibbs, Corporate Sector Director – Property & FM, SWRnewstar said, ”As a result of this Green Apple Award success, we’re delighted that our partners have been invited to have their winning paper published in The Green Book, the leading international work of reference on environmental best practice, so that others around the world can follow their example and learn from their achievement. They could also progress to represent their country in the Green World Awards 2019 and have 100 trees planted in their name as part of the United Nations Billion Trees initiative.”

The Green Apple Awards began in 1994 and have become established as the UK’s major recognition for environmental endeavour among companies, councils, communities and countries. 

The awards are organised by The Green Organisation - an international, independent, non-political, non-profit environment group dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world.

The Green Apple Awards are supported by the Environment Agency, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Chartered Institution for Wastes Management, REHIS and other independent bodies.