The renewi reporter 16 by Sonder

WIN!

The

AN ECHO SPOT

… THE NEW NAME FOR YOUR MUNICIPAL DIVISION NEWSPAPER

WHAT’S INSIDE…

STAR SPOTTING Canada team play host to one ‘super’ film crew

P12

SMALL CHANGES Make a huge difference for our onsite team

November 2018

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HEART OF GOLD Stuart runs to support colleague’s charity

FROM BELT TO BOWLING GREEN

THIS IDEA’S A BELTER Find out how recycling keeps David’s bowls rolling on page 3

MAKING LEARNING BETTER

A four-pronged plan to make every Renewi colleague even better at what they do and get the rewards for doing it is now under way. It’s the brainchild of our new Learning and Development Manager Vicki Marchant, who is determined to create an environment where people can easily develop new skills. She said: “We want to promote an environment where people can perform to the best of their ability in their current role and learn the skills for potential future roles. “And we want to encourage all employees to take responsibility for learning by creating a culture of continuous development, which will continue to grow and enrich Renewi.” The focus will be on four key areas: • E-learning • Rewards and Recognition • Apprenticeship Opportunities • Leadership Development. The aim is to give better access to learning for the wider team. KEY AREAS Vicki said: “If we’re successful, we will have happy people who will develop as competent individuals for their own benefit and Renewi’s.” Making improvements in these areas will give colleagues better access to training, as well as better rewards, recognition and wellbeing services too. To find out more about how learning and development will be better for you, turn to pages 6 and 7.

02 ❙ October 2018

CHECK OUT YOUR CHAMPIONS! We’re always looking for stories about the people who make Renewi Municipal what it is, so our panel of Communications Champions is here to make it easier. Got a story about a hobby, fundraiser or best practice? Contact your Communications Champion and we’ll do the rest.

ARGYLL & BUTE

GETTING BETTER AND SAFER ALL THE TIME We have an exciting new plan to give you a chance to grow and make Renewi a safer place to work I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to get better at what I do because it definitely makes life a lot easier and more enjoyable. That’s why you’ll find a strong focus on the continuous improvement of our teams as individuals and our sites in this edition.

BDR

Eddie Ingram, Abi Cox, eddie.ingram@renewi.com abigail.cox@renewi.com

CANADA

CUMBRIA

Ann-Marie Cooper, amcooper@orgaworld.ca

Joanne Crone, joanne.crone@renewi.com

DERBY

DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY

Emma Ray, emma.ray@renewi.com

Dave Cheetham, david.cheetham@ renewi.com

ELWA

ENGINEERING

Gemma Barton, gemma.barton@ renewi.com

Steve Bullock, steve.bullock@ renewi.com

FINANCE

Rachel Lindley, rachel.lindley@ renewi.com

Claire Stackpoole, claire.stackpoole@ renewi.com

ICT

LEGAL

Simon Betts, simon.betts@renewi.com

Sandra Dunsterville, sandra.dunsterville@ renewi.com

PROCUREMENT

MATERIALS

Heidi Brown, heidi.brown@renewi.com

Nigel Currie, nigel.currie@renewi.com

SHEQ

WAKEFIELD

Jade Bale, jade.bale@renewi.com

Sally Hurn, sally.hurn@renewi.com

FIRST STEP We are passionate about making sure you grow through learning, whatever level you’re at or hope to reach, and Vicki Marchant, our new Learning and Development Manager, is working hard to make the ways of improving ourselves as easy and accessible as possible. Everyone likes to be recognised for a job well done and that’s another area where we’re aiming to get better, so turn to page 6 to find out more about the four key initiatives Vicki is promoting.

Sometimes it’s just about taking that initial step, like the first wave of 25 SHEQ Champions who have volunteered to see something and say something if it doesn’t look right on or around any of our sites. ACHIEVEMENT As you’ll see on page 10, the Champions are all enjoying the extra responsibility and sense of achievement that averting a potential incident brings, so we can all get home safely to our families each day. It doesn’t take a lot to make a big difference either, as our Frog Island team have shown with a series of small but significant suggestions at round table sessions. Their managers, Paul Leslie and Kevin Bell, have listened, talked the ideas through and got them done. Then, as a thank you for the team’s buy-in, they offered to wash their cars. Find out more about the changes they’ve made on page 9.

MILLION MAKERS

Team celebrate delivery of two millionth tonne of RDF to plant One of our teams have celebrated a major milestone as part of a revolutionary partnership. Three years after making their first delivery of solid recovered fuel (SRF) to Ferrybridge Multifuel, our Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) colleagues have now delivered the two millionth tonne of waste to the renewable power plant. MILESTONE The plant uses around 570,000 tonnes of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) a year, a third of which comes from the 350,000 households of the Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham areas, to produce lowcarbon electricity. This means that the waste doesn’t go to landfill but is converted into a useful resource. To mark this milestone, Multifuel’s Ferrybridge Plant Manager Colin Drew presented Driver Alex McKay with a certificate and a gift.

PARTNERS Contract Director Simon Lund said he was proud of the partnership between the Renewi site and the power plant: “Since the Renewi waste treatment site at Manvers opened, 96.5% of the waste received at BDR has been diverted from landfill, cutting landfill taxes and CO2 emissions. “This partnership with BDR has revolutionised the way leftover household waste is managed, making a valuable contribution to improving the environment for this and future generations in South Yorkshire.”

96.5% of the waste received has been diverted away from landfill

Colin Drew (right) presents Alex McKay (left) with a certificate

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October 2018 ❙ 03

KEEPING THE GREEN CLEAN

… and we’re going electric! We’re looking a whole lot greener after the installation of three electrical vehicle charging points. Capable of charging six electrical vehicles at once, the new office station follows the fitting of a charging unit at Denby Dale Road in Wakefield. With electricity generated from the treatment and processing of waste at the South Kirkby site, the Denby charging points now power Wakefield’s new allelectric van, which makes the team’s travel from site to site much cleaner. Green with envy, the head office team at Milton Keynes celebrated the unveiling of their new charging points on 9 July by test driving some cool new electric car models.

BOWLING GREEN(ER) David and a team-mate make a clean sweep of the belt

HYBRIDS Along with project partners – installers Chargemaster and Milton Keynes council – the team tried out the BMW i3 Rex, Volkswagen e-up! and Volkswagen e-Golf. After arranging the launch event, Alison Mpouki, UK Lifecycle Programme Manager, took one of the models home. “I live 10 miles from the office and the vehicle managed to drive all the way home and back on only 20% of its charge,” Alison said. “We’re introducing electric cars into our corporate range and some people at HQ already drive hybrids. We are also looking, where we can, to purchase electric plant equipment when it needs to be replaced and is commercially viable.”

Reused belt keeps Danny’s dad right on top of his game When the weather’s good, you’ll find David Tadd on the green three or four times a week, meeting his mates for a game and a cuppa. But when the season ends and winter sets in, it’s left to the members of the Astley Bridge Bowling Club to keep the green tidy by weeding and clearing leaves from the trough around the edge of the green. RECURRING It’s always been a challenge for the club’s older members like David, who has been there for 30 years. That was until David’s son Danny, Senior Operations Manager at Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham, found the perfect solution to stop weeds threatening play next year. Danny is always looking for ways to reduce landfill, so the replacement of the optical scanner belts, a recurring issue at his site, got him thinking. “The belts break or need replacing around every six months. We’ve got four machines on our site, which

means we’ll get through at least eight belts a year,” Danny said. “The first step in waste minimisation is reuse. It is the first priority for any materials that are being reprocessed.” Usually, once they have been replaced, the old belts are thrown into landfill. But Danny had other plans for them. He said: “Each roll is about 12 to 15 metres long and about three metres wide. I brought one home in my people carrier and put it in the garage. Unfortunately, because it’s been used to process waste, no matter how much you clean it, it stinks! “I put it down on my lawn to kill the grass before I dug it up. Because

They can just sweep everything up. It looks the business.

David Tadd with his team, the Astley Bridge Conny Bs, at the clubhouse

it’s three millimetres thick, it’s basically a robust weed net.” So when Danny’s dad told him about the troughs at the green, he knew it would be the perfect solution. WAYWARD BOWLS The sand troughs at the edge of the green usually give wayward bowls a soft landing, but in the winter they become home to weeds and leaves. David said: “We cut the belt so it was the width of the trough and laid it down. “It means that we don’t have to buy grass matting, which is expensive, and that people don’t have to get on

their hands and knees to tidy it. They can just sweep everything up. It looks the business.” Many of the visiting teams agree, with several asking about the belt. His teammates were impressed too. “They didn’t even twig that it was a conveyor belt,” said David. He is now looking forward to next season, where the team hope to repeat this year’s success of winning the Conservative League Cup. He also hopes the border will be completed by then too. David said: “Danny told me that another belt had just gone so, hopefully, it will all be covered soon.”

Battery electric vehicles cost 2p per mile to run; combustion engines cost 16p per mile

22p

the electric equivalent of a litre of petrol or diesel, meaning big savings over the lifetime of the vehicle

30 mins

Rapid charge stations (up to 50kW) can charge a car in 30 minutes, on average

04 ❙ October 2018

SIX SOLVE A

BEFORE

WHAT IS IT?

TRICKY ISSUE

Biofilter media is used to filter odours that result from our factory processes. The filters ensure that the site does not present odour nuisance to the surrounding environment. But these biofilters have a limited life and the media needs changing every two to five years, depending on use.

Team find sustainable solution to biofilter problem Colleagues from across the business have put their heads together and found a solution to a tricky landfill problem. Biofilter media is an essential part of any factory’s operation but is notoriously difficult to recycle or compost once it comes to the end of its useful life, often being thrown into landfill. So a team of six – Tom Shepherd, Stuart Hobbs, Paul Oates-Riddell, Sandra Dunsterville, Steve Bullock and Danny Tadd – from four different departments worked together to find a better way to deal with the redundant material. SUSTAINABILITY Process Engineering Project Manager Tom, who managed the project, said: “Diverting the waste from landfill was the main plus point and could reduce costs on our projects, as well as put the material to good use.” To facilitate the procurement of required materials and services, Tom brought in Stuart, Senior Category Manager, and Steve, Process Design Manager. Stuart said: “Tom, Steve and I assessed whether we could compost the biofilter ourselves, but it wasn’t practical due to the interruption it would cause on-site.”

We work better together. I think the team should be proud of their success

The team then got in contact with Agriorganics, who compost the organic fines for Cumbria and had a process that could break down and recycle biofilter media into a useful soil conditioner. TEAMWORK Once processed by Agriorganics, this material can then be used on restoration sites. Steve said: “These sites are often contaminated land from previous heavy industrial use or old collieries with great spoil heaps. The recycled material helps the grass grow and reduces erosion.” It was then up to legal team Paul and Sandra to finalise all the contracts between Agriorganics and the contractor Celvac, who undertook the removal of the biofilter media. The project, which saw cost effectiveness improve by 50%, was such a success it will now be rolled out to other sites, including the Hespin Wood facility in Cumbria. Steve added: “These projects would not have been possible without different departments delivering the whole package. We work better together and I think the team should be proud of their success.”

AFTER

The process led to major renovations at the site

FLOWER POWER

From trash to treasure Schoolchildren have discovered that their rubbish can be turned into something cool. Jade Wilkes, Education Officer for Wakefield, has been running activities with children across the Wakefield area to show them fun ways to reuse their rubbish. RUBBISH FUN The activities were run at several libraries as part of the Pass It On campaign, which encourages people to think about different uses for their rubbish before they throw it away. Jade said: “My sessions all included a treasure hunt starter activity to introduce children to how they can reuse rubbish and make amazing things with it. “Then they created a little fishing

DURING

game out of bits of everyday scrap to play at home and made jewellery out of old magazines.” Jade said that as well as learning about recycling, the children got to have fun with rubbish too. She said: “They learned that waste is a valuable resource, not something to just throw away. Everyone went home happy with a new game or jewellery made out of things once destined for the bins.”

There’s nothing like a bit of green-fingered competition, as a lucky 13 colleagues found out. Adam James, MBT Supervisor (right), was looking for a way to cheer up the Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham site when he had the idea of a sunflower-growing challenge. He said: “A colleague suggested we grow tomatoes and cucumbers in the area outside the SCADA control room as during the summer it’s like a greenhouse in there. “Then a supervisor asked if I wanted an old pack of sunflower seeds that he had lying around at home, and I said yes please.”

What started out as a bit of fun soon became a hard-fought contest, with tactics and different techniques under intense debate. Adam said: “I made a few simple rules such

as not using plant food, only water. It did become quite competitive and it was quite funny to listen in to if I’m honest. “Some of us decided to grow our sunflower in something that we could find in the waste. So mine was in an old work boot, two people used kettles and someone had a watering can.” Towering above the competition with an impressive 86-inch sunflower, Nick Smith, Engineering and Maintenance Manager, won a bottle of prosecco for his plant, which was bent over by the roof. But the competition won’t be stopping there. Adam said: “I’m having a look to see if we can do a Venus flytrap one. The winner will be the first one to grow the plant and catch a fly in it.”

October 2018 ❙ 05

OUR SUPERHEROES

ALIEN INVASION Picture credit: FILM COMPANY WARNER BROS. TELEVISION

Extraterrestrials take over one of our sites… but there’s no need to worry BREAKING NEWS! A riot sparked by an alien invasion at one of our sites has been quelled! Despite the violence, explosions and workers protesting at out-ofthis-world new techniques being introduced at the plant all has now returned to normal. In fact, it took just a day to calm the trouble at our plant in Surrey, Canada… especially once camera crews filming an episode of sci-fi series Supergirl had packed up. Around 60 cast and crew used our Surrey biofuel facility to film an episode for the fourth series of the DC Comics-inspired show. Actors Chyler Leigh, who plays a physician working for a government agency battling to save earth from alien invaders, and The Walking Dead star Xander Berkeley were among the cast to appear at our site.

Supergirl Melissa Benoist (above) and (below, right) Xander Berkeley

Cast and crew enjoy a break by the gas upgrader

FINAL CUT The gasholder was a backdrop for one of the protest scenes – where a Molotov cocktail blew out the windows – while the administration building and truck entrance will also appear in the final cut’s night shots. Plant Superintendent Scott Brundrett said: “Aliens were using our plant to develop new technology to replace steel and the humans were protesting outside, so the police were called in. The fact the programme shows our plant being

used to develop something futuristic and innovative wasn’t lost on us, and we were happy to adjust operations to accommodate the crew.” TRANSFORMED The third-floor education centre became a make-up room and the boardroom a green room, where the actors could relax in-between takes. Scott said: “There are 20 of us here and everyone was allowed to mingle with the actors and stage hands… and take advantage of the catering! “One of the scenes involved blowing out a window, so they removed it, put in a prop window and then replaced it. It was interesting to see how they worked.” The team shut down some of the equipment and rearranged deliveries to reduce noise during filming. Scott added: “Some scenes took longer than expected, so we moved things around. Screening and tunnels fell silent and the gas upgrader that removes CO2 from the biogas to make biomethane was switched off in the day while we monitored control systems to ensure nothing was compromised.” The 18-hour filming session ended in the early hours, bringing a successful end to three weeks of planning at the site.

MEET OUR OWN RECYCLEWOMAN Not all superheroes wear capes. Some prefer to reuse a black plastic bag. Emma Ray, Waste Education and Minimisation Officer, has been stopping the people of Derby and Derbyshire from throwing away waste that could be reused or recycled. SAVING WASTE Teaming up with her local councils and armed with lots of ‘waste’ items, one-woman wonder Emma has been

spreading the word of recycling. She attended many events, including the Ashover County Show and a Superhero Picnic in the Park, where she put people’s recycling knowledge to the test and chatted to people about the sorting process. Emma (right) said: “We used real items and asked people to pick out the ones they thought they couldn’t recycle. It really made them think about what they could and couldn’t recycle and the reasoning behind this.

“People often say, ‘oh, I didn’t realise that’. They’re surprised about what they can actually recycle, such as aerosol cans. “We want to encourage people to separate things before they get to the treatment centre too.”

NO STOPPING HER But Emma’s not stopping there. She’s taking her mini blue wheelie bins and magnetic recycling wheels to a range of events this year.

Working with High Peak borough council, she’ll be encouraging people to recycle more of their food waste into their garden bin and fighting the crime of throwing away unwanted lights and electricals at Christmas. With her recycling sensors tingling and her reusability powers knowing no bounds, no one can stop her now.

06 ❙ October 2018

FOUR EASY WAYS TO I

BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE How our team’s new approach will help you to do your job even better than you do now Everyone loves a bit of recognition for a job well done, some revel in learning new stuff and others get a buzz from improving… to make life and work that little bit easier. “We’ve always provided some form of training for employees, but much of it has been on compliance-related training with no real focus on soft skills that benefit and add value for our employees,” said Mark Cowan, HR Director.

“It’s so important we invest in this area, so I was delighted to create the new role of Learning and Development Manager and welcome Vicki Marchant to the business.” We caught up with Vicki to find out about the four strands of a new approach being launched to help Renewi colleagues be better every day. Vicki is on a mission to make learning and development easily accessible to every one of us, regardless of age, job role, location or experience. Her vision is to help create a Municipal team of highly trained, motivated and healthy employees who can work together to take the business to a new level.

“If we’re successful in those areas, we will have happy people who will develop all the time as people for their own benefit and Renewi’s,” she said. The four key areas set to make a huge difference to colleagues in the coming months include:

• E-LEARNING • REWARDS AND RECOGNITION • APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES • LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT “We want to promote an environment for people to perform to the best of their ability in their current role and develop new skills for potential future roles,” said Vicki.

VICKI SAYS: “WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE ALL EMPLOYEES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR LEARNING BY CREATING A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WILL GROW AND ENRICH THE BUSINESS.”

(Main pic l to r) Shift Manager Miles Hopkinson, Team Leader Chad Ryan, Waste Data and Weighbridge Supervisor Carl Hewlett, Vicki Marchant, Control Room Operator Daniel Hall, Process Manager Richard Wilkinson and Shift Manager Shaun Pleasance

October 2018 ❙ 07

O IMPROVE YOURSELF SO HOW WILL IT WORK?

VICKI SAYS: “THERE WILL ALSO BE INDUCTION PLANS FOR EVERY NEW STARTER AND EACH JOB TYPE AS PART OF THE PLANNED ROLLOUT.”

E-LEARNING When most people think of learning new things, their immediate fear is there won’t be enough time after a busy day at work. The new e-learning portal will change that with its bite-size online courses that can be done in your lunch break or any time of the day at home. Topics covered in a fun, interesting and innovative way will include management, personal development, health and safety, and wellbeing. Colleagues can complete the new or refresher modules online – which will feature videos, follow-up questions and associated fact sheets – in their own time, as quickly or as slowly as they like.

Learning will cover manual handling as part of the Health and Safety module and leadership skills under Personal Development and Project Management. The portal, accessible from terminals installed on sites, will feature areas for people to create forums to discuss what they’ve learned and add content. Vicki said: “We realise people are busy and prefer to learn little and often, so this portal will be perfect for that as most video-based modules only take between 5 and 15 minutes to complete. There will also be induction plans for every new starter and each job type as part of the planned roll-out.”

VICKI SAYS: “MOST VIDEOBASED MODULES ONLY TAKE BETWEEN 5 AND 15 MINUTES TO COMPLETE.”

APPRENTICESHIPS

WELLBEING, REWARDS AND RECOGNITION Recognition and rewards for a job well done will play a much greater part in the business as part of the new-look programme. Wellbeing and rewards were a major part of the feedback from the last Pulse survey, so Vicki is determined to tackle both head-on. “Wellbeing is becoming a really big focal point in businesses because the pressures of life are greater than they used to be,” said Vicki. Learning and Development will form the foundation of the wellbeing programme, with managers being

trained to recognise the early signs and symptoms of stress and understand how to support their teams to deal with it and build resilience. Vicki said: “Some stress is good, but recognising when people are up against it and giving managers the tools to use to support their team – and themselves – is very important.” That enhanced learning will be in conjunction with a more intuitive Renewi rewards and wellbeing website covering everything from benefits, savings and discounts to learning and development.

VICKI SAYS: “THERE WILL ALSO BE THE POTENTIAL TO SEND E-CARDS TO COLLEAGUES WHOSE WORK YOU FEEL REFLECTS THE RENEWI VALUES BECAUSE WHO DOESN’T LOVE A BIT OF APPRECIATION FROM THEIR COLLEAGUES?”

Around 45 operators and managers in Wakefield who said they wanted to develop themselves are taking part in a new apprenticeship scheme. It’s not a new thing, but Vicki hopes to make apprenticeships far more common across the business in the months ahead. The first group enrolled in September, with qualifications ranging from recognised waste management and business improvement to management and supervision.

Ask your line manager or contact Vicki about apprenticeship opportunities.

VICKI SAYS: “WE HAVE DONE APPRENTICESHIPS IN POCKETS IN THE PAST, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST COHESIVE APPROACH TO IT AND WE’RE SURE IT WILL CREATE A FAR BETTER BRIEFED WORKFORCE.”

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT All the best managers identify opportunities for their teams to develop and grow and are there to support when there is a problem. That’s why Vicki is continuing to promote our Leadership Development programme – a six-month programme consisting of 6 x 1-day modules for leaders around the business to develop their skills and behaviours to support their teams. She said: “By upskilling line managers and enhancing their leadership skills, they will be better prepared to see opportunities

for the individuals in their teams and, in turn, make them and the business stronger.” Groups of 12 leaders are trained in a tailor-made package focusing on areas including driving performance, change, authentic leadership and how to be a productive manager. A total of 36 leaders are already taking part in this year’s programmes, with more to follow next year. “People learn in different ways and everyone has different aspirations and goals,” Vicki said.

“My aim is to drive a blend of learning and development activities that will appeal to everyone and make learning accessible, fun and, most importantly, impactful on individuals, teams and the business.”

VICKI SAYS: “BY UPSKILLING LINE MANAGERS AND ENHANCING THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS, THEY WILL BE BETTER PREPARED TO SEE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR TEAMS AND MAKE THEM AND THE BUSINESS STRONGER.”

FOR MORE INFO ABOUT THESE INITIATIVES OR OTHER TRAINING OR DEVELOPMENT PLEASE SPEAK TO YOUR MANAGER OR VICKI (VICTORIA.MARCHANT@RENEWI.COM)

08 ❙ October 2018 Jordan (left) learns how to clean the skips from colleague Charlie

STAR STUDENT JORDAN CHANGES OUR MINDS New trainee teaches his team how to overcome their fears Colleagues welcomed a new trainee to their team after an on-site visit got him hooked on recycling. Jordan, who has Asperger syndrome, had been studying at Wakefield college when he visited the South Kirkby Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) on an educational visit. “He really liked the site,” said Joanne Everson, Admin and Support Services Supervisor. “Jordan was so

interested in how it worked and took a really keen interest in the work that everyone was doing.” UNDERSTANDING Our team were delighted to host Jordan on his four-month placement at the South Kirkby site as part of the Get Supported Employment training programme run by his college. Joanne and Becky Dykes, HWRC and Transfer Station Manager, worked closely with the college to make sure

Game time

No matter what challenges they face, Ottawa employees always find a way to complete the task at hand. The Ottawa team have been working round the clock to prepare for a capital expansion project that is the result of a contract extension with the City of Ottawa. Having worked with the City since 2010, a new agreement means that the team will be accepting more materials and that the plant will have to expand from six to eight composting tunnels. FOOTBALL FUN To celebrate their hard work and dedication, Greg Juchuck, Scale Operator, decided that it was time for the team to let their hair down and watch a Canadian football game. In a tense East and West face-off, Ottawa Redblacks took

The Ottawa team as they get ready for the kick-off on the Edmonton Eskimos on 22 September, with the Renewi team there to cheer on their local football team. “I’d describe the Ottawa team as one that works hard but also plays hard when the opportunity calls for it,” said Ann-Marie Cooper, HR and Communications Advisor. Greg said: “Each year we like to go out together as a team. We’ve been axe throwing and on factory tours. Our team are really engaged with these trips and it’s really good for everyone’s morale too.”

the team were aware of what Jordan’s condition meant and how best to work with him. Joanne said: “We discovered that Jordan liked having structure in his day. He knew he had to sign in every day when he came in, then he’d go and get his PPE on and start on his task list.” Jordan gradually learnt each task, such as how to clean signs on-site, move large white goods and he even revamped a skip sign in the meet and greet area telling the public which

containers are for which materials. Jordan grew close to Charlie Helsby, Barry Heptinstall, Elaine Gordon, Mick Pygott, Sam Holmes and Ben Deverew, who were all on the team he worked with. Charlie, Barry, Joanne and Becky even went to surprise him at his end-of-year presentation evening. Barry said: “When we were asked about Jordan coming to the site, some of us were worried that he’d feel overwhelmed. “But we need not have worried in

The team were impressed with Jordan and his work

Jordan was so interested… and took a really keen interest in the work everyone was doing the slightest. He came, he saw and he conquered. He helped us to overcome our fears towards his Asperger’s and gave us all a better understanding of why we shouldn’t label someone.”

PLANT-ASTIC One of our Canadian teams are helping to make their local landscape greener by teaming up with a leading environmental charity. As part of charity ReForest London’s Million Tree Challenge, the London team are taking part in two events. These events will encourage locals to improve the sustainability of the area by planting more trees in their gardens. PLANTING The team hope to grow the number of registered trees in London, which currently stands at 387,487. To help ReForest London hit its total, the team will be hosting a tree depot where residents can go and pick up free trees that they can then plant in their own

gardens. They’ll also be taking part in a tree planting event later in the autumn.

HEALTHIER Ann-Marie Cooper, HR and Communications Advisor (right), said: “With both of these events, our London team will be pulling up their sleeves to help make London healthier and greener by planting trees. “There’s not just environmental benefits to planting these trees but human health benefits too including cleaner air, reduced heating and cooling costs, shadier streets and yards, increasing home values, greener downtown and recreational areas, and the beauty that reconnects us with our environment. It’s great to be part of this positive movement.”

The team loved getting involved with the community

October 2018 ❙ 09

TEAM RIGHT BEHIND SITE’S FACELIFT

CHANGE… FOR THE BETTER

BEFORE

Paul and Kevin have made changes both inside and out

Little things mean a lot at ELWA

A broken toilet seat, an ugly patch of mud, a dreary work space. All can impact on how you feel and how you work. Paul Leslie, Senior Operations Manager, and Kevin Bell, Contract Director, are working to make the East London (ELWA) site a better place for the whole team. Although both have only been at ELWA for a short time, they’ve already made a huge impact, even running a car wash to say a big thank you to the team for all their hard work. Paul said: “I’m really proud of the team because they’ve embraced all of the changes that have been made. They may be our ideas but it’s this team that have made them all happen.” Kevin said: “We want to be pioneers. We have a vision to be the best of the best.”

PAUL LESLIE

SENIOR OPERATIONS MANAGER “My background is in the food industry where the main focus is on hygiene and contamination. Coming from those stringent rules and factories that are run like hospitals to a waste factory is like ‘wow!’.” Improving factory housekeeping and the engagement of employees were important for Paul, but his main priority was always maintaining safety. He said: “The factory that I came from had a fouryear record without any lost-time accidents. With that in mind, I wanted to make safety a priority for everyone on-site. Everyone has a target to meet for near misses and every conversation I have starts with safety rather than performance. “Every manager also has to perform a safety walk twice in every shift,

meaning that everyone can be sure that the environment is always as safe as it can be. We want everyone to go home in the same state they came to work in, if a little bit tired. “I’m from the shop floor. I started there and worked my way up, so I know that the team just want to push a button on the machine and for it to run smoothly all day. “They’re spending more time at work than they are at home with their families, so why wouldn’t we want it to be a clean and comfortable place to be? “I always say that even though we work in a waste factory, it doesn’t have to be a tip, it’s just the mentality of how you approach it.”

The team at Frog Island have embraced the changes

BEFORE

AFTER THE SITE, BEFORE AND AFTER By painting the canteen and putting up a TV, tidying up the site with equipment such as shadow boards and landscaping overgrown wasteland outside the admin office, the team have started to make the site a cleaner, happier place to be.

AFTER

KEVIN BELL

CONTRACT DIRECTOR “It was going to be really expensive to returf an area outside the office, so a couple of operatives came down in their spare time and sowed some grass seed. It looks so much better already!” Getting the team to talk about what’s happening on-site also helped Kevin to re-engage them. He said: “Paul started running round table meetings with people from each department. From this he created a list of ‘gripes’, which is still up in the canteen with a list of actions next to it. “It’s all in the details. Someone who works in the pits asked if they could have an eye wash dish, so we

installed them. Just by giving people better shovels and brushes, for example, we start to engage with what the team are saying and supporting them. “Doing these meetings is having a really positive effect. When we talk to people who’ve been with the team for seven years or more, they say that the most changes they’ve seen have been since Renewi was created. “It’s not been an easy cultural change, but by talking to the team we start to empower them. We tell them, ‘it’s your area, how would you like it to look?’. It’s a different approach that can help us to gain more in terms of efficiencies but makes it a nice place to work too.”

10 ❙ October 2018

STAYING SAFER AND HEALTHIER ON-SITE

SAY HELLO TO THE SAFETY SQUAD They’re our eyes and ears for safety and environmental performance on the ground Getting every colleague home safe each day is a top priority for our teams. To make sure that happens, Adam King, Head of SHEQ for the Municipal Division, has recruited a team of keen volunteers to become SHEQ Champions. The growing team of more than 25 safety stars are trained operatives who’ve volunteered from each region and will keep an eye out for potential dangers or health risks on-site. They can then either deal with these problems themselves or report them to management to be actioned. MEET THE TEAM With this new scheme, along with the annual Safety Week, Adam hopes to keep people safer on our sites and encourage teams to become their own active SHEQ Champions. But what do our new SHEQ Champions think of the scheme? We caught up with a few to find out.

ANDY FREEMAN SENIOR MULTI SKILLED OPERATIVE, FROG ISLAND

“We have a monthly newsletter here at Frog Island called Frog Life. It was advertising for volunteers to become SHEQ Champions. I saw that you could become IOSH certified as part of it and thought that would be a really good thing to have. “Also, at the end of the day we don’t want anyone to be injured or to injure anyone else or do damage to machines. That’s why I volunteered. “If a truck driver gets out of his vehicle without PPE, we now have the authority to go up to them and ask them to put it on or to fasten their seatbelt. “Health and safety is really important. We’re here to earn money and have a good time while working hard, but definitely not to muck about. There’s a common feeling that we all want to do the job and do the best we can. “When we stop something bad from happening, I do get a real sense of achievement.”

MOBILE PLANT OPERATOR AND TRAFFIC CONTROLLER, JENKINS LANE

REFINEMENT OPERATOR, JENKINS LANE

PAUL RAMOS

LISA HOWELL

“When I was asked by my manager if I’d be interested in becoming a safety SHEQ Champion, I wasn’t too sure. I’m not very good with paperwork; I’m more of a hands-on kind of person. “But work colleagues’ safety is really important and because I’m on the ground I can see what’s going on and bring it to my manager’s attention or resolve it myself. “I was concerned about the traffic movement in the area where I work, especially the articulated lorries. Seeing drivers standing by their curtainside while the lorry is being loaded is not OK because everyone knows the driver should not be within five metres of the vehicle. “I had an issue yesterday with a lorry driver who kept jumping up on to the truck to sort out his strap. I just went and kindly asked him to sit in the vehicle. Sometimes people can get abusive, but I’m pretty hard-skinned.”

“I tended to be the guy in the team who brought problems up to management, so becoming a Champion was just the next step. “Vehicles are often blocking the way outside and we have to stop operations to avoid accidents. In refinement, we also have scaffolding, which sometimes becomes a bit unsafe. We also report flies, smells, littering and issues with our radios. “Sometimes public vehicles would take the wrong turn up the one-way system and end up on-site. We reported the problem to the management and they put in a roundabout, so now vehicles can turn around at the gate. “I think that safety reps should play a bigger role because the safety of work colleagues and the environment belongs to the team. “If we had more time to look around the site and think about problems before someone reports them, that would be great.”

“I started as a safety rep in a different section and continued in the role when the SHEQ Champions scheme started. “I mostly check that all of the team on-site are reporting their near misses and that everywhere is safe on-site. Looking after the public as they go upstairs, making sure that the bins are tucked in and other potential trip hazards are the main things that I keep an eye out for. “I think having safety reps is a good idea because you’ve got people looking out for each other. “When the scheme first started, people thought that it was a bit of a grassing-up session, but since people have realised that you don’t have to give anyone’s name and that no one is going to get into trouble, people have started to report things. “It’s noticeable that people have become more aware of safety; the management team want it more and more since we became Renewi.”

DAVID GRIFFITHS

TEAM LEADER, FRIZLANDS LANE

October 2018 ❙ 11 (l-r) Stuart and Dave are the perfect fundraising team

The taste of success

Success has shone on Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign… and the stats prove it. The team were shortlisted for Campaign of the Year at the National Recycling Awards, an award that Renewi won last year in partnership with the City of Wakefield council. After crunching the data Abi Cox, Community Education Liaison Officer, and the team uncovered the numbers behind their success. PROUD “After 22 events, we met more than 2,000 people and got 600 people to sign up to the Love Food pledge,” Abi said. “This contributed to more than a 7% reduction in food waste across the area, saving the council £292,000 and an estimated £1,000,000 for local residents.” Returning on its investment 17 times over, Abi said that although they didn’t win the award this year, she was still very proud of what the campaign achieved. “When we originally floated the idea, people thought that it was an expensive campaign, so the fact that it has gone beyond its ROI is fantastic. “It not only benefits the council because of a reduction in food waste but frees up our team’s capacity to work on other types of waste too. We’re proud of what the campaign has achieved.”

GAME CHANGER

Question time

Dave’s football brush with death sparks big charity push When Dave Betteridge took to the pitch for a football game in 2013, he had no idea it was a fixture that would change his life. A few minutes into the match, Dave suffered a heart attack and collapsed on the pitch. The quick work of two teammates meant Dave was kept alive for the 12 minutes it took for a first responder to arrive with a defibrillator. Such was the extent of the damage to his heart, that Dave had to undergo a quadruple bypass operation. STANDBY He said: “There was no defibrillator available at the school where we were playing. If it wasn’t for the skill of the two players buying me time before the first responder arrived, I wouldn’t be alive now.” The incident inspired Dave to raise money for the installation of a defibrillator in the school where his heart attack happened. Now well on the road to recovery, Dave has set up the David Betteridge Community Defibrillators Charity. Since it began, the charity has raised money for defibrillators for five other schools and community centres.

Dave said: “Although none of our defibs have been used, they’re there as back-up on standby.” FURTHER… AND FURTHER When he heard about the fantastic work that Dave had been doing, colleague Stuart Newbold knew that he had to get involved. Stuart said: “When we started talking about the charity, Dave was thinking about winding it down. He’d already installed a few defibs and it had all gone a bit quiet. “So I said, ‘I’ll run a half-marathon for you’. When I got home and realised what I’d signed up to, I thought ‘Oh my god’. I’d only run 10k before!” Often getting up at 5am to train, Stuart had a tough time reaching the 13-mile mark before the Newark Half Marathon in August. He said: “I’d often send pictures to Dave of me out at 6am in the morning. I’d just go out and try to hit the 10k, then I’d run a bit further, and a bit further. “A week before the marathon, I was picking up my eldest son and I twisted and pulled my back. I had to take a week off work and I was trying everything to fix it. I was doing yoga in

Dave outside 10 Downing Street with MP Amanda Milling the front room and taking pain relief. “My wife and other family members were saying I shouldn’t run and to do another race instead, but I knew that I couldn’t look Dave in the face if I didn’t give it a try.” AMAZING Despite his injuries and after taking plenty of painkillers, Stuart crossed the finish line in two hours and 20 minutes, only 20 minutes off his personal best in training. Dave said: “What Stuart did was amazing. He’d never run anything as large as a half-marathon, so it was amazing for him that he’d completed it. The support from our colleagues and other contractors on-site was incredible too.” Stuart’s final total hit £620, which

Stuart and his son after one of his races

is more than halfway to raising money for a seventh defibrillator. Dave said: “As Stuart is a Derby lad, it would be good if it could be installed somewhere in the local area to serve the people of Derby.” The two hope to keep the momentum going by encouraging their colleagues and friends to join them in more fundraising activities, potentially even a Three Peaks hike. Stuart said: “It’s not so much about me running a half-marathon, it’s about what it’s done that’s important. Even if we just manage to save one person’s life, that 13 miles will all have been worth it.” To find out more about the charity or to donate, head to their Facebook page at facebook.com/DBCD.Charity/

When 15 engineering students from the Netherlands asked to tour our Ottawa facility, they didn’t think they’d be the ones answering the questions. Mechanical engineering students from TU Delft university were on a trip through Ontario and Quebec when they made a stop at our Orgaworld facility for a talk and a tour. Dennis Kerrigan was their host, but he didn’t make it easy for the students: “I don’t do PowerPoint, so when I gave them all the technical details, we just asked questions back and forth instead. They’re engineering students after all! “I’d ask them why materials have to be kept at 55 degrees for 72 hours and they’d pass it back and forth between themselves and figure it out.” HIGHLIGHT As well as giving the students an overview of the Canadian facilities, Dennis gave the students a ‘hands-on’ tour of the Ottawa facility. “When we shut down the facility for lunch, I took the group around for an hour. We followed the process all the way through as if we were new incoming waste; this was their highlight of the trip. At the other companies they toured they hadn’t left the boardroom but with us they got to physically see and experience what we do and how we operate. “They were even able to touch the compost (with PPE, of course) and any other materials they wanted to. Their feedback was that it was a great ‘handson’ tour.”

WIN!

12 ❙ October 2018

JUST FOR FUN SUDOKU PUZZLE

You can win an amazing device that does exactly what you tell it If you’re not too sure what an Amazon Echo Spot is, it’s basically Alexa in an all-new stylish and compact design. Echo Spot is designed to fit anywhere in your home. You can ask the Echo Spot to play music, check the weather, read the news, answer questions, set music alarms, control your smart home and a whole lot more. You can play music on your Echo devices in different rooms, call or message anyone hands-free who also has an Echo device or the Alexa app, or make video calls. Features are added all the time so you

SPOT ANSWERS:

Ever done a sudoku puzzle before? Or are you a bit of a sudoku expert? Have a go at this puzzle and see if you can complete it so that each box contains the numbers 1 to 9 only once. It’s just for fun and there’s no prize but you can take the satisfaction from knowing you’ve completed it and given your brain a workout!

AN ECHO

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Congratulations to James3Gray, Maintenance Shift Supervisor, 9 5 Frog 8 6 Island 1 7 2 4 7 8to2Work 5 3 as 4 our 6 1new 9 safety scheme who correctly named Permit 8

Do you have a colleague with a hidden talent? Is there a superstar in your midst? Let us know at renewi@madebysonder.com

4 1

2 3

Abi, her brother and sister after a fundraising race

4 7

CRAZY PLACE “It all started when I heard another scout talk about her experiences in Japan. I said then that I wanted to fundraise for the next Jamboree,” Abi said.

Most people would jump at the chance if they were offered the trip of a lifetime to the US. But what if you had to take three dozen teenagers aged between 14 and 18 with you too? That’s exactly what Abi Cox, Community Education Liaison Officer at Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) will be doing next year when she takes a group of scouts from South Yorkshire to the 24th World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia.

Scouting for good

How many strands are there to new Learning and Development Manager Vicki Marchant’s Continuous Learning package that’s designed to help us all get better at what we do?

EMAIL YOUR ANSWER TO renewi@madebysonder.com

SEND US YOUR STORIES…

At the Jamboree, the teenagers will get the chance to meet 45,000 other scouts from around the world. Abi said: “It’s a crazy place to go. It’s the biggest sustainable campsite in the world with a 50-mile-long zip-line and the second largest BMX track in the world. “There’s also an evening where each group shares food from their culture – I can’t wait for that!” Before she goes on the trip, her

TERMS AND CONDITIONS The winning entry will be chosen at random. Editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The Renewi Reporter reserves the right to change the prize without notice. It cannot be exchanged for cash. We collect your name, contact number and address solely for processing and selecting a winner. Your data is not shared with any third party and is deleted after the competition has finished and the winner confirmed. The competition winner’s name will be published. The closing date is 6 December 2018.

Y FANTAS LL Barry Maughan’s Up North are FOOTBA just edging it at the moment,

can track your fitness goals, order pizza and even get train times. To be in with a chance of becoming a winner in time for Christmas, answer the question below and follow the simple entry instruction in the red box. The closing date is 6 December 2018.

group have to raise £152,000 and mentally prepare for the trip. “Many of the kids are worried about experiencing stress and anxiety when they’re out there. “We only have a short time to prepare before we leave. It’ll be tough but also amazing for the kids.” To donate, simply register and start purchasing through easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ wsjunit35

HAVE YOUR SAY

but it’s tight at the top with just a few points separating the top three MANAGER’S NAME

PTS

1 Barry Maughan

532

2 Jordan Beard

529

2 Darryl Hopkinson

529

3 Jake Hammond

512

4 Ketul Shah

508

5 Jim Levack

507

6 Greg Jackson

494

7 Craig Owen

491

8 Mikey Gray

488

9 Peter Clarke

486

SEE P2 FOR YOUR

Communications Champion

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