In 2009, an on-site Waste Pre-Treatment Centre was opened at the NEC with a target of recycling 50% of the venue’s waste by the end of 2013.
In January 2011, aware that focusing on large items such as cardboard and metal was not going to be enough, a further initiative was introduced. The resultant in-house ‘Take the Waste Out’ campaign has seen the facilities management team working closely with the catering department to segregate all catering waste at source into cardboard, glass, food, dry mixed recycling and general waste.
The result is that a minimum of 50% of total site waste is recycled through the on-site Waste Pre-Treatment Centre and baled or sorted for collection by a network of local suppliers.
Food waste is sent to an anaerobic digestion plant where it helps generate electricity for homes in Staffordshire and any waste that isn’t dealt with through the NEC centre is sent for further sorting to a local Materials Recycling Facility. The facility recycles between 70% and 90% of the waste it receives, with residues going to the local energy-from-waste plant
The current status
The NEC reached its “zero waste to landfill” in just three years (in September 2012), and from September to December 2012, recorded an impressive average recycling rate of 87% which included 108 tonnes of cardboard, 127 tonnes of wood and 43 tonnes of paper.
In January 2013, the NEC confirmed that waste management charges to organisers were to be frozen for 2013. Previously, clients saw a rise in cost annually due to inflation and a simultaneous increase in landfill tax. Now, because the NEC is longer sending waste to landfill, there’s not tax so there’s no requirement to pass that cost on to clients.
What our people say…
Kathryn James, Managing Director, NEC said: “We are thrilled to be in a position where our efforts to reduce and recycle our waste have resulted in benefits to our clients.
“Achieving our “zero waste to landfill” goal ahead of schedule affirmed our greener venue credentials and we’re proud that this claim is more than just words; we’re recycling, we’re taking full responsibility for it from the start through to the conclusion of the process, and we’re communicating that to our clients.
“Now that we’ve created a sustainable difference through waste management – which we demonstrated further through our collaborative work with the Skills Show – we can focus on retaining our position as a leading and unique event venue which can adapt its offering to the market.”
Some related activity
As a part of the NEC’s corporate social responsibilities and green initiatives, the venue team are always looking at ways to significantly reduce and recycle waste, and to choose suppliers who share that vision.
The NEC assisted the Skills Show team to re-use 120 tonnes of top soil that was used on one of the show’s skills areas in 2012, rather than disposing of it. The venue’s waste management team approached Solihull Sustain, the local support, representation and development service for all Voluntary & Community Sector organisations serving the people of Solihull, which encouraged Newlands Bishop Farm in Catherine De Barnes to re-use the soil.
The joint venture successfully provided Newlands Bishop Farm (NBF), a project which gives people with learning disabilities and mental health problems, the opportunity to learn work based skills, with an opportunity to test new skills.
In another project, Warwickshire based sculptor Luke Burton approached Steve Cartmell, Cleaning and Waste Manager at the NEC, to see if the venue could help his latest project by providing recyclable materials for him to shape into a sculpture to be displayed on the NEC site (also 2012).
The materials were provided and the finished statue, entitled “Beyond All Limits,” was received by The Worshipful The Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Ken Hawkins and The Mayoress of Solihull, Mrs Janet Hawkins, on behalf of the NEC, in an official unveiling ceremony at the site. The 18 foot sculpture, made from recycled stainless steel, aluminium and titanium, is now displayed for visitors to enjoy beside the Lake at the NEC.
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