Member Article

Zero to landfill in just a few months for York business

A socially responsible York business has achieved zero to landfill status only a few months after opening.

None of the waste produced at Spark:York is sent to landfill, thanks to a partnership between the community interest company and Yorwaste.

Spark:York is a community of small independent businesses operating out of old shipping containers. This includes bars, restaurants and shops. This means a wide range of waste is generated at the Piccadilly complex, including food waste, glass, plastic and cardboard.

Spark:York engaged Yorwaste to provide the waste services for the site and this includes dedicated bins for different types of waste.

The waste is collected several times a week and taken to Yorwaste’s nearby Harewood Whin processing facility on the outskirts of York.

Glass is sent to be recycled back into glass or used as an aggregate in road building, steel and aluminium cans are recycled back into new cans, food waste is sent to a biomass facility where it is turned into renewable energy, plastic is sent for reprocessing into a variety of new plastic products, and any residual waste is taken to the new Allerton Waste Recovery Park where it is transformed into green electricity.

This means that Yorwaste was recently able to present Spark:York with a certificate which confirms it has achieved zero waste to landfill.

Yorwaste Account Manager Kate Anderson said: “We are delighted to have been able to help Spark:York achieve zero waste to landfill. It is particularly impressive given they only opened in May this year.

“It demonstrates the commitment of the businesses to protecting the environment, and that is to be applauded.”

Jo Little, Head of Marketing at Spark:York, said: “Our whole ethos is around sustainability, whether that’s by reusing old shipping containers, ensuring the food is served in biodegradable packaging or not using plastic straws or cups.

“We would like to thank Yorwaste for their support in helping us achieve zero to landfill status; it means a great deal to us.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Neil Shaefer .