LEGAL VIEW
6 APRIL 2022
ISS SUPPORTS OPENING OF
GATWICK’S SOUTH TERMINAL
ISS has provided support to the reopening of Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal
which has been closed for almost
two years due to the pandemic.
Flights from the airport have
been operating solely from the
North Terminal since 15 June
2020 and ISS placemakers have
been keeping the terminal
operational and safe for
passengers to use.
As the furlough period ended, Gatwick Airport in collaboration with ISS,
agreed to retain all employees to begin the preparation for the reopening of the
South Terminal. These ISS placemakers have deep-cleaned the entire terminal,
recruited and trained new employees, procured over 200 sanitiser stations,
repaired or replaced all dormant machines and re-engaged specialist hygiene
and scent suppliers.
As part of the mobilisation, ISS is running a bold recruitment campaign to
provide the local community with career opportunities at the site.
ISS provides cleaning, portering and property services to Gatwick Airport, and
has done for the last seven years.
HALVING RESIDUAL
WASTE BY 2042:
WHAT CAN FMS DO?
Dr Stephen Wise, Chief Strategic
Development Offi cer of environmental
biotechnology company Advetec
On 16 March, the UK Government announced plans to halve the
amount of Mixed Residual Waste (MRW) that goes to landfi ll or
incineration by 2042.
Proposed by Defra as part of the Environment Act – which
became law in November 2021 – the target ensures it takes a
‘holistic’ view of waste, which avoids incentivising substitution
materials for those with ‘worse environmental impacts’ through
material-specifi c targets.
Described as ‘ambitious’, plans will require ‘signifi cant
behavioural’ change to achieve, but what does this mean for
FM – an industry becoming increasingly aligned with waste
management and aware of its impact on wider ESG goals?
While the proposal presents a new set of considerations, it’s an
opportunity to get ahead and reduce cost and carbon emissions
immediately.
Finally Mixed Residual Waste (MRW) – or forgotten waste as we
call it – has been brought into the spotlight.
MRW exists largely because of human behaviour and lack of
knowledge about how our actions determine where waste goes.
Twenty-seven million tonnes of this waste goes to landfi ll or
incineration each year – even though there are technologies
available to treat the stream that have a smaller environmental
impact and deliver bigger cost and carbon savings.
MRW is waste that can’t be recycled because of the presence of
organic matter and other contaminants – a discarded plastic bottle
containing liquid, or a cardboard sandwich box containing crusts.
When these are thrown away, the presence of organic matter
means this waste can’t be sorted, so it isn’t recycled.
Education of the public as well as the waste industry must
go hand-in-hand with the uptake of new technology. Defra’s
spotlight on MRW will, I hope, create the optimum conditions
for greater adoption of the UK’s alternative technologies and
innovative treatments.
FMs can reduce the reliance on the mainstream landfi ll or EfW
options by researching and talking with innovators in the market
place – there has never been a better time to investigate and
embrace green-technologies.
For businesses with large quantities of food waste going to EfW
or landfi ll, anaerobic digestion – which can be used to produce
biogas – could be a more sustainable alternative. For mixed
residual waste –biotechnology can be used as a means to process
it on site, remove the organic fraction and reduce its mass and
volume by 50 per cent and 70 per cent respectively, which means
the need for fewer collections. Plus, the fl oc that’s created by
this process is well suited for processing as a solid recovered fuel
(which benefi ts the circular economy) and costs 40 per cent less to
dispose of, compared with landfi ll or conventional mass burn EfW.
This need for greater environmental responsibility is set against
a backdrop of increasingly onerous fi scal pressures. The imminent
55 per cent price increase to red diesel, which most waste
producers run their plant and equipment on, means FMs can
expect to see signifi cant cost increases for waste services, almost
overnight. Plus, as the push for Net Zero is now a key boardroom
consideration, there’s increasing internal pressure for change too.
Recent announcements demonstrate that FMs cannot simply sit
back and hand over responsibility for their waste to management
companies – only those that are proactive in auditing their
processes and adopting greener solutions will reduce their carbon
footprint and overall costs.
I believe this proposal creates a compelling reason to embrace
change now. Biotechnology is already proving its worth as a
highly eff ective, carbon effi cient alternative and one that can
deliver much-needed cost certainty. Defra has sent a very clear
message – mixed residual waste can’t be ignored and we welcome
this wholeheartedly.
SUPPLY CHAIN SUSTAINABILITY
SCHOOL LAUNCHES FAIRNESS,
INCLUSION & RESPECT GROWTH
ASSESSMENT TOOL
The Supply Chain Sustainability School has joined forces with major construction
clients and contractors, to develop and launch the Fairness, Inclusion & Respect
Growth Assessment.
This freely available web-based
tool has been specifically designed
for the construction industry and
allows organisations, large and
small, to benchmark their Fairness,
Inclusion & Respect knowledge.
The Assessment helps leaders and
managers to recognise their best
practice and highlights areas for
improvement. On completion of the
Assessment, a tailored learning plan is automatically created for companies, providing
direct free access to the best-in-class learning resources of the FIR Programme, helping
them to further develop and improve their business.
The Fairness, Inclusion & Respect Growth Assessment tool is endorsed by the CLC
(Construction Leadership Council) as part of its Skills Plan objective of developing a more
diverse & innovative industry that is better for all. Use of the tool will help organisations
to accelerate the process of embedding a culture change and will help deliver CLC’s
commitment to support 3,000 construction companies in developing a culture of
Fairness, Inclusion and Respect by 2025.
Organisations are becoming more conscious of Fairness, Inclusion & Respect and its
benefits to people, profit and enabling a sustainable business model. In a survey of 811
people who have participated in the Fairness, Inclusion & Respect programme, 55 per
cent said it helped them win new business, 58 per cent said it improved productivity and
62 per cent said it helped them to retain talent.
In partnership with SEE Things and CHAS, Supply Chain Sustainability School members
can also get accredited for taking the Fairness, Inclusion & Respect Growth Assessment
and embedding practices within their company. Accreditation is valid for two years and
gives members access to ongoing support and the assurance that they are continuing
to practice Fairness, Inclusion & Respect to current standards and guidelines. NOCN
will be the Quality Assurance of the training provided by the Supply Chain School to the
Licensed Assessors.
NEWS & ANALYSIS FMJ.CO.UK