To kick off Recycle Week 2021, Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP) has announced the names of this year's Love Recycling Heroes.
Love Recycling Heroes is part of the ongoing, award-winning, Love Recycling programme and recognises people championing commercial recycling and sustainability across Europe.
The initiative received nominations from many industries, ranging from carpeting to cafés, hotels to manufacturers, and operations to charities, reflecting the continuing rise of sustainability across various types of commercial operations.
Two leading heroes were awarded the highest status of 'Glass' heroes, and received £500 each to donate to the sustainability charity of their choice.
Elissa Underhill, National Account Manager at international distributor Lyreco, was nominated for her tireless efforts to help her customers improve the system efficiency of the company's resource and waste management process.
At one of her customer's sites, the implementation of her suggestions has netted an additional six tonnes of material that will be recycled instead of ending up in a landfill. Underhill's work shows that small changes to processes can result in large sustainability wins.
Commenting on her award, Underhill said, "Committing to sustainability is all about creating a better, safer planet and environment for everyone. Whether it's our customers, our suppliers, or our employees, together we can all make a difference to protect the planet and make it a better, safer place for future generations.
"Being recognised for this commitment is vitally important to us as collaboration and sharing these innovations with our customers is integral to supporting those businesses and the market sectors in which they operate."
In a quite different setting, the owners of Brixton's vegan Café Van Gogh, Annabelle and Ehima, were nominated for the inclusion of multiple sustainable and social practices into the business' operations.
Eliminating single-use plastic, employing compostable packaging made from recycled material and directing food waste to composting programmes exemplifies the idea that recycling and sustainable business practices are important for all businesses.
To meet all the winners, visit the Love Recycling website.
