Congratulations to the AECC for retaining the Gold Award from Green Tourism for running a sustainable business, with a concentrated focus on the environmental impact of its operation. According to Stuart Brain of Green Tourism, “David and the sustainability team, are dedicated to ethical thinking and aim to lead by example which is evidenced by excellent recycling practices over the whole site, promotion of local food and drinks, Healthy Eating Award and supplier screening all backed up by strong management of all things sustainable. Overall a business deserving of continued Gold Award status.”

Congratulations also go to Elan Hair Design for winning the Green Award at the 2014 Northern Star Business Awards, as well as Scotland’s regional Sustainability Award in the British Chambers of Commerce’s Chamber Awards.

Please give a warm welcome to Vivienne Patterson who joined our customer service team on 1 October. You are likely to speak to her on the phone soon, and she is looking forward to getting to know you all.

Walter Fillingham is our new hazardous waste assistant. He started in July and has been out and about collecting hazardous waste as well as recycling and confidential shredding.

If you are going to Granite Expo on 30 October this year, please come and see us on our stand. The not-at-all scary Samantha Edmond will be there to speak to you about recycling and waste management and may have some slightly spooky prizes to give away.

Instead of sending a Christmas card this year we are giving a donation to Newtonhill Out of School Club and asking the kids to design a Christmas picture for us. The shortlisted entries will be posted on our Facebook page and the winners announced in December. We can’t wait to see the festive entries.

We have recently invested in ISYS waste management software, and it is currently being implemented. Once it is up and running it will significantly reduce time spent on routine administration, improve the information which we report to customers, and allow us to spend more time finding out what our customers need and helping them.

Well done to our clients, First Integrated, who were the fastest mixed gender team in September’s Beast Race, a gruelling 10k race over rough terrain, mud, water and 30 obstacles. They won with a combined time of 7 hours, 49 minutes.

They did it to support Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, and you can help them reach their fundraising target here: https://www.justgiving.com/First-Integrated/

We were delighted to work with Sport Aberdeen to make the Baker Hughes 2014 Race their greenest ever by recycling the 14,000 plastic bottles given to the runners at watering stations during the 10k event.

Our role was to put in place the systems to ensure that bottles from the watering stations were collected for recycling and to provide the containers. Fortunately we didn’t actually have to pick up all the bottles!

After the event the bottles were all collected and baled, ready to be turned into plastic bottles again. Perhaps some of them will turn up at next year’s Baker Hughes 10k.

We are aware that SEPA are currently active in Aberdeen and have been carrying out visits to companies to check compliance with the waste regulations. They have the ability to give out fines to offenders. We are confident that all our clients are fully compliant with the new law, but if you have any concerns at all, please get in touch.

Our Integrated Management System (IMS) Certification has been renewed starting from 5 August 2014 and is valid until August 2017. This certificate incorporates:

ISO 14001 – the International environmental standard
BS OHSAS 18001 – the British health and safety standard
ISO 9001  – the International quality standard

To get a copy of the new certificates and other up-to-date licences, please log on to the members area on our website.

Pat and Frances are two local ladies who are undertaking a huge challenge called their 60 list while collecting money for cancer charity, Clan. They have undertaken to do 60 things that they have never done, or always wanted to do, before they reach the age of 60! One of their challenges was to sort waste in a recycling plant… so they donned their high viz vests and hard hats and concentrated very hard for about 20 minutes, sorting out recycling on a conveyor belt. Amongst the more unusual finds were 2 car number plates and a few shoes! They were surprised to learn that the remaining waste minus the recyclable items that they sorted would be used to generate renewable energy and heat.