FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
An innovative nation-wide recycling project has enabled Mitie to save 80 tonnes of old Interserve uniform from going to landfill.
More than 1,800 tonnes of CO2 emissions have been avoided by collecting and recycling the uniforms, totalling 10,000 bags of material. The amount of carbon saved through the project is equivalent to nearly 2,700 return flights to New York from London.
Following the acquisition of Interserve Facilities Management, around 13,000 new colleagues were provided with 112,000 pieces of new Mitie branded clothing to replace their old Interserve uniforms. As part of Mitie’s commitment to limit its impact on the environment, the business launched a large-scale recycling project to ensure that all this old clothing was repurposed and given a new lease of life.
Multiple collections were arranged from 2,000 sites across the UK so that the old uniforms could go through the specialist recycling process. This involved them being shredded through a cross-cut shredding machine, baled and separated, and then stretched into a fibrous material, to be used to re-make garments, insulation, textile products and other materials. Meanwhile, any garments containing non-recyclable fibres were sent to be securely and safely incinerated, with the heat created from this process used to generate power.
The uniform recycling project is just one example of Mitie Waste’s commitments to reducing the volume of materials consumed by the businesses through its ‘Resource, not waste’ mantra. For example, through its innovative ‘Bin the Bag’ trial, removing all black bin bags from its sites, it will save 40,000 bin bags, more than half a tonne of plastic, a year. Following the successful trial, it is now in the process of supporting clients with removing black plastic bin liners from their operations.
Michael Taylor, Managing Director, Mitie Waste, said: “Collecting 80 tonnes of uniform is no easy task, and the success of this project is testament to the expertise of the Mitie Waste team. Through this project, not only are we helping reduce carbon emissions and saving good material from being wasted, but we are also demonstrating to the rest of the industry what is possible when it comes to sustainability. In line with our Plan Zero commitments, we will continue to push ourselves, and our customers, further and faster in our drive to limit our impact on the planet.”
Informa, the organisers of Facilities Show, together with FMJ magazine, have teamed up to launch a questionnaire which aims to offer a useful snapshot of where the facilities management sector is now, and an outlook on the future.
For instance, are you asking workers to begin to return to the office with a hybrid home/office work schedule? Are you revising your premises to enable more flexible ways of working and as such have your workplace strategies, including sustainability, wellbeing and engagement had to be radically rethought?
Your anonymised answers will contribute to a report on the biggest challenges and opportunities facing facilities managers; now, and anticipated in the next 12 months.
To take part click here.
