Member Article

Social value approach secures Speedy recycling contract

Speedy, the UK’s leading tools, equipment and plant hire services company, has appointed Recycling Lives to provide waste management and recycling services to the company’s nationwide network of depots and offices.

The 12 month contract, with an option to extend, was secured by the Lancashire headquartered social business owing to its strong focus on social value and professional resource management capabilities.

Recycling Lives has won the contract to service Speedy’s 200 plus locations following a competitive tendering process.

The contract will see Recycling Lives assume control of all Speedy’s waste streams which will be collected either co-mingled or source segregated where the necessary volume exists.

Once collected, materials will be separated to maximise recycle rates and avoid materials going to landfill. Recycling Lives will also be working with Speedy to identify waste improvement strategies and achieve revenue from saleable commodities.

“Critical to the appointment of Recycling Lives was their enlightened approach to social value,” explains Speedy’s group HSSEQ director, Steve Giblin.

“In Recycling Lives, we have found a supplier which matches our own company values and ethos while delivering the services we need. This approach provided a clear advantage over their competitors and is, we believe, a unique offering within the sector.

“As a hire company, reuse is at the very heart of what we do and we are very pleased to have them on board.”

Recycling Lives uses commercial contracts to support its various welfare programmes which address issues impacting marginalised people in our communities, including: homelessness, reoffending and food poverty. These programmes are all designed to support marginalised people into independent living through education, employment and security. In 2015/16 these programmes returned more than £4m of tangible social value and changed countless lives.

Anthony Sharkey, Senior Commercial Manager from Recycling Lives added:

“Speedy is renowned for its values, commitment to innovation and ‘challenging the norm’. This is in the DNA of Recycling Lives, which makes for a great partnership.

“We’re very excited to be partnering with Speedy on its waste improvement strategy. Even at this early stage we have identified numerous opportunities to: reduce waste to landfill, create revenue and deliver true social good as a result.

“Recycling Lives operate to a simple principle, the more we grow the more people we help. Securing Speedy’s waste contract, and reuse opportunities, will enable us to increase the participation of our social welfare programs and change more lives as a direct result.”

Speedy has reduced the volume of waste sent to landfill by 30 per cent in the last financial year and has an ongoing commitment to continually reduce waste volume year on year.

The listed Newton-le-Willows based company reported a return to profit in its most recent annual results which were announced in May 2017.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Eleanor Harms .