The Publication For The Grocery Trade

ACM And Brakes in waste management and recycling partnership

ACM Waste Management Plc has been chosen by Brakes the UK's leading supplier to the catering industry, to provide a complete waste management and recycling service for its 62 sites across the UK. ACM has initially supplied Brakes with a range of equipment including 20 compactors for general waste and 17 balers for card and polythene and will help the company to achieve a 10% saving on its previous waste management costs in the first year of the three year contract. But cost savings were not the reason Brakes chose ACM. The company is committed to excellent environmental performance and the fact that ACM is perhaps the UK's most environmentally focused waste management company and it has guaranteed to increase Brakes' recycling levels by at least 30% over the period were the additional deciding factors. Increased recycling initiatives have already been introduced at 13 sites, for card, polythene and cling-wrap with further initiatives planned including innovative ideas such as back-hauling from smaller sites to recycling centres at larger depots. Additional schemes including the recycling of milk cartons and the shredding and re-use of eco boxes will also be introduced in the very near future. Valerie Rands, Head of Group Capital and Services Purchasing at Brakes said: "We were looking for a waste management supplier that had a real interest in environmental issues and could help us dramatically increase the levels of recycling across both our distribution sites and offices. "ACM impressed us not only with their very competitive pricing structure, but also with their ideas, commitment and enthusiasm for helping achieve our recycling and waste management objectives." The waste management partnership with Brakes is a significant development for ACM and further underpins the company's status as the leading provider of complete waste management and recycling solutions to UK businesses. Over the term of the three year contract the two companies will work in partnership to achieve even greater cost savings and increase the amount of waste diverted from landfill. Waste management consultant Lezlee Burke added: "Good waste management practice is a positive way that businesses can improve their environmental performance. It is fantastic for us to have the opportunity to work with a company like Brakes, the market leader in its field, which shares ACM's commitment to protecting our environment for future generations. "Recycling initiatives deliver very important environmental benefits including significant energy savings. For example, it takes eight times more energy to manufacture plastic bottles from virgin polymer than to use recycled materials; recycling paper cuts energy usage in half and recycling a ton of glass saves the equivalent of nine gallons of fuel oil." ACM has also helped Brakes to introduce an extensive recycling scheme at its head office in Ashford, Kent. Bins have been provided for paper, cans, cardboard and cups and from this month there will be no under-desk bins to ensure that all 614 staff are recycling as much waste as possible. The scheme is designed to ensure that the whole company is totally committed to recycling and to help ensure the success of the initiative. Lezlee said: "The head office recycling scheme is fantastic, it is helping to make sure that everyone is involved and able to make a positive contribution towards improving Brakes' environmental performance." She concluded: "ACM is committed to delivering ongoing, proactive and innovative account management to add value throughout the three year contract. Management reports that enable full analysis of all waste and recycling streams will be used at periodic review meetings to make it easier to identify where improvements can be made to ensure the partnership continues to go from strength to strength!" ACM Waste Management Plc Tel: 08700 777555 www.acmplc.com