ReNEWS Issue 9 by Sonder

ReNEWS

WIN!

A SONY DIGITAL CAMERA P12

FOR ALL YOUR SHANKS MUNICIPAL NEWS AND VIEWS

WHAT’S INSIDE…

RECYCLING FRIENDS A CLASS ACT Hitting all their targets

BACK IN ACTION Two years’ hard work rewarded

June 2016

P12

GLORY FOR OUR HEROES Meet the medallists

FROM COMPOST TO THE BIG BLUE

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

UNMASKED

Our colleagues in Canada have set their sights on becoming ‘a game changer’ in the industry after winning a string of new contracts. As well as increasing five-fold the number of farmers taking Orgaworld compost, including Doug Parks (above), they’ve also agreed contracts with retail giants Walmart and Metro/Food Basics. Our teams will now turn the waste from 85 of the supermarket chain’s stores into highquality compost in a growing radius around our London and Ottawa, Ontario, facilities. Organisational Development Director Tony Burnett said Canada’s progress would have been impossible without the committed colleagues based there: “We are very fortunate to have such a talented team of people right across our Canadian business, who offer exceptional operational, technical and sales expertise.” BRIDGING THE GAP Former ELWA Contract Director Tony is now in charge on the other side of the Atlantic, bridging the gap between Canada and the UK. He added: “Thanks to every one of the team’s efforts, we are taking steps towards the excellent business performance that I know we are capable of.” Orgaworld London has clinched a brand-new partnership with global farming distributor Cuddy Farms and a further 20 Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) contracts to handle waste from hotels, restaurants and the food sector. Sales Manager Chris O’Toole said: “For years Orgaworld was doing things the same old way, but now we have a different mind-set.” l London’s

calling: pages 6 and 7

The Shanks man who loves scuba so much he built a dive centre in his back garden – p3

02 ❙ June 2016

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

ARGYLL AND BUTE Gail Orr, gail.orr@shanks.co.uk

CANADA Chris O’Toole, cotoole@orgaworld.ca

CAPITAL PROJECTS COMPLIANCE Alison Mpouki, Dave Leatham, david. alison.mpouki@shanks.co.uk leatham@shanks.co.uk

BDR Abi Cox, abigail.cox@shanks.co.uk

Barnsley’s Transfer Station team said their safety is a top priority since Shanks took over

CUMBRIA Joanne Crone joanne.crone@shanks.co.uk

DERBY Emma Ray, emma.ray@shanks.co.uk

DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY Dave Cheetham, david. cheetham@shanks.co.uk

ELWA Gurjeet Kaur-Assi, gurjeet. kaur-assi@shanks.co.uk

ENGINEERING Steve Bullock, steve.bullock@shanks.co.uk

FINANCE Sophia Kibirige, sophia.kibirige@shanks.co.uk

HR Claire Stackpoole, claire. stackpoole@shanks.co.uk

ICT Simon Betts, simon.betts@shanks.co.uk

LEGAL Louise Thompson, louise. thompson@shanks.co.uk

RESOURCE AND RECOVERY PROCUREMENT Heidi Brown, Abdul Haneef abdul.haneef@shanks.co.uk heidi.brown@shanks.co.uk

WAKEFIELD Sally Hurn, sally.hurn@shanks.co.uk

RAISING THE BAR Watchdogs so impressed with our continuous improvement, they ask to see how we do it When inspectors plan a visit, it’s natural to be nervous and put on the best show. But when Environment Agency officers dropped in on our Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) site in March, they were so impressed with our continuous improvement programme that they asked to come back again to show their team how we do it. During a standard audit of our dry AD facility, Regulatory Officer Nick Green couldn’t wait to tell his colleagues about the new site’s bid to be the best. After feeding back to the Environment Agency’s

national continuous improvement team, it looks like the site and the Agency have a promising partnership ahead of them. Environment Agency

Regulatory Officer Greg Wilkinson said: “My colleague was so impressed with the site’s focus on continuous improvement, he mentioned it to our national team. The upshot is they would like to visit BDR and discuss continuous improvement implementation methods.” Kez Grimley, Head of Compliance, congratulated the team on-site: “This is really positive news for BDR and also for the rest of the business. It’s a great example of working with the Regulators and proves that Shanks is one of the leaders in best environmental practice.”

200mm

This newspaper is produced by

(Formerly known as Summersault)

Editor: Jim Levack; Assistant Editor: Emily Craft; Sub Editor: Kate Feasey; Designer: Natasha Lipinski Cox; Production Manager: Julia Fulford. MADE BY SONDER LTD, VICTORIA COURT, 8 DORMER PLACE, LEAMINGTON SPA, WARWICKSHIRE CV32 5AE. MADEBYSONDER.COM

100mm

TIMEKEEPSING TOP TIP FROM ‘TEAM TOGETHER’

Watch this space for top time-management tips. Helpful posters will be appearing at your site soon too. Email your time-management tips to louise.thompson@shanks.co.uk

A QUICK UPDATE FROM PETER 50mm

WELCOME…

25mm

… to issue 9 of ReNEWS. With the start of the new financial year, there is a lot to look forward to and also to reflect on. In May we reported our full-year financial results. While our revenue in the Municipal Division grew 21% to £187m, our profit actually fell by 15% to £9.4m due to off-take costs, recyclate and energy price pressures, and higher insurance costs. Despite being disappointing, these costs are expected to ease or reverse over time. In terms of safety, we reduced our accident rate by 40% and increased our close calls by 250%. This is a great improvement and I am confident that the more close calls we raise, the fewer accidents we will have. Over the next year we will finish our build programme by completing our Derby and Surrey facilities. This allows us to 12mm

then focus on driving the maximum benefit from our facilities by making more from waste and maximising diversion from landfill. One of the key ways we will do this is through the continuous improvement programme. At ELWA, it has reduced downtime, improved communication and identified approximately £1m of savings to date, so I’m excited about this being rolled out further. Finally, thank you for responding to the recent Pulse survey and I look forward to hearing about the actions we are implementing to improve together. In the next ReNEWS, we will share the actions that the Leadership Team will take to support PETER this improvement. EGLINTON

SHANKS’ SUB-AQUA SENSATION

June 2016 ❙ 03

WETSUITS YOU SIR The sea is 70 miles away, but that isn’t stopping Glen Ibbotson getting in the swim A suburban back garden on the outskirts of land-locked Barnsley might seem an unlikely location for a spot of deep-sea diving. But if you pop down to the bottom of Glen Ibbotson’s garden, you’re more likely than not to find him swimming with the fish. That’s because Glen and his son Luke, who both work at our new Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) site, are qualified scuba divers and love to practise whenever they can. Glen, the plant’s AD manager, built the four-metre-wide by twometre-deep pond, which holds a staggering 16,000 litres of water, for whenever he fancies a dip. The pond, which according to Glen has crystal-clear water good enough to drink, even has a viewing gallery with portholes for his grandchildren. CONTRAST Glen, 56, and 26-year-old Luke are both fanatical divers and have swum with moray eels and sharks off the coasts of Egypt, Cuba, Mexico and the Maldives. “It started when I decided to keep some fish. I wanted a big pool for them and the best way to clean and maintain it is to actually get in and do it manually,” said Glen. “My wife thinks I’m a bit mad, but when we go on holiday, I dive and she relaxes and we meet up for lunch, so everyone’s happy.” Glen has worked in the AD facility since 2014 and says the warm, dry areas where compost is drained of its moisture and stored until it’s ready for farmers is a stark contrast to the

Water babes Glen and son Luke think nothing of swimming with the fish

Glen’s man-made pool allows him to explore the ‘big blue’ without leaving Barnsley environment he finds underwater. “Maybe that adds to it. Underwater you’re weightless and nothing beats the open water. The freedom of being 34 metres under the water with manta rays and turtles swimming effortlessly above you is amazing,” he said. Son Luke, who did his first dive aged just 12, is an accounts assistant at BDR and, like his father, is a qualified rescue diver. But their unusual hobby – unusual for a back garden in Yorkshire at least – has led to an unexpected spin-off for one of our suppliers. BEST-KEPT Glen explained: “I was chatting to Steve Butler, who works for Sherwoods, who do haulage work for us. He told me his neighbour was moving and leaving several big koi carp behind in his pond. “If left, they’d eventually die, so I offered to take them and we’re just working through the best way of transporting them now. They will have plenty of room in our pond.” They’ll thrive alongside a dozen other big fish in one of the best-kept stretches of water in the county, according to father-of-three Glen: “I’ve got seven kinds of filters to get rid of sand, ammonia and UV light. There’s even LED lights that change colour and I can make them flash at Christmas. “My grandchildren love to watch the fish through the viewing gallery, so what better way to keep it crystal clear than to go for a dive?”

HAVE YOU GOT AN UNUSUAL HOBBY?

SHARE IT

Contact your Municipal Communications Champion

QUALITY THE KEY TO CONTINENTAL DEAL Our teams’ expertise in making more from waste is spreading to the Continent, as part of a £50-million deal with a major international company. Our high-quality Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) coming out of London as part of the ELWA contract has helped us clinch an exclusive 10year contract with a leading Dutch energy supplier. ACHIEVEMENT As part of the deal, Germany-based EEW Energy will develop a third energy-from-waste line at its facility in Delfzijl, Netherlands, where heat is generated for the local chemical industry. The contract is a major achievement for our Municipal

The EEW contract guarantees compliance with our ELWA contract and underpins our strategy of making more from waste

business: “We have built excellent working relationships with the site management over the past few years,” said Commercial Director Richard Tarrant. “We recently invited EEW’s Head of International Sales, Oliver Karg, and his colleague, Thomas Obermeier, to our leadership conference to discuss the benefits of

the product we produce in London and why we could work for them as a long-term provider.” COMPLIANCE The returns generated from the contract will provide financial and operational security for the Municipal business, as well as helping us divert east London’s waste away from landfill. “ELWA is our largest PFI contract and Shanks has an obligation to divert over 300,000 tonnes of waste from landfill every year up to 2027 and potentially beyond,” said Richard. “The EEW contract guarantees compliance with our ELWA contract and underpins our strategy of making more from waste.”

04 ❙ June 2016

THE GOOD AND THE NOT QUITE SO GOOD FINDINGS Key Municipal figures you need to know

THE RESULTS ARE OUT

Nine out of ten of you had your say in the latest Pulse survey Some of the findings were good, some not so good and some suggested there is room for improvement. We asked for your feedback in a number of areas, including your work, line manager and working environment. In the Municipal Division, a whopping 86.1% of you gave your feedback, which will help us to improve further. ACTIONS By now you should have seen your team’s results and have had an action planning session to work on actions for improvement over the next year. As well as making you happier, healthier and more fulfilled, investing in changes to make sure you’re engaged has been proven to increase customer satisfaction by 18%, decrease employee turnover

by 14% and increase performance by up to 40%. The last survey sparked improved communication at ELWA and Derby, additional health and safety at Dumfries and Galloway and improved employee recognition at Cumbria. Read about what’s being done to improve the business locally and the Management Team’s action strategy to roll out improvement from the top in the next ReNEWS.

SEE THE FULL RESULTS FROM THE PULSE SURVEY 2016

READ IT

Pick up the next Shanks Matters for an overview of results across the Group

LET’S CELEBR ATE LET’S IMPROVE

7.2%

AVERAGE ENGAGEMENT ACROSS MUNICIPAL, UP TO 7.2 OUT OF 10 FROM 7.1 LAST SURVEY

2.6%

THE LEAP IN THE NUMBER OF YOU WHO FELT COMMITTED AND ENGAGED, UP TO 34.7% FROM 32.1% IN JUNE 2014

8.3, 8.0 & 9.0

COLLEAGUES IN MUNICIPAL MORE ‘PROUD OF THE WORK I DO’, ‘CONFIDENT IN ADDRESSING UNSAFE BEHAVIOUR’ AND ‘WILLING TO HELP COLLEAGUES’ THAN THE REST OF THE GROUP

IN SHORT Employees are proud, feel their work is important and are constantly looking to improve themselves. They have confidence in challenging safety and see teamwork as important.

5.8 OUT OF 10 FELT THEIR WORK GAVE THEM ENERGY, BUT WE WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE 4.2 WHO AREN’T ALWAYS INSPIRED

4.4 OUT OF 10 HADN’T DISCUSSED THEIR PROGRESS WITH THEIR LINE MANAGER

4.1 OUT OF 10 DIDN’T FEEL INSPIRED TO ACHIEVE MORE BY THEIR LINE MANAGER. THAT’S THE SAME AS IN THE PREVIOUS PULSE SURVEY

IN SHORT Employees feel there has been little improvement in inspiration and opportunities for progression, compared to the last survey, and that employee recognition and communication needs to be improved.

COMMENTS

“I‘ve been with the company for over 14 years and have learned a lot. Any training or encouragement I’ve needed has been given.”

“Often I am not informed of decisions that impact me until after the event and I have to spend a lot of time chasing people for this information so I can do my job.”

“The Municipal Division generally has a good open attitude to listening to ideas.” “I get great satisfaction out of my work and see that I am part of a team with an objective to get the work done to a high standard.”

“I struggle with enthusiasm as work delivered is not embraced and engagement is really difficult to get as everyone is always too busy.”

“I really enjoy my job and am proud to work for such a forward-thinking, resourceful and integrity-driven company.”

“Greater access to projects across the company would bring more interest and energy, with benefits for all areas. There is currently very little scope to increase knowledge of other contracts.”

A day in the life of… Alastair Culshaw Business Support Director Alastair Culshaw may be 100 miles from home, but says his new role at Shanks HQ feels like going back to his roots. “I am a qualified engineer by trade, so it’s been great to get back into a role where you process things and see an end product,” said our new Business Support Director. The Chester-born efficiency expert will be the driving force behind our continuous improvement programme. And after getting a headstart in the notoriously competitive automotive industry, he feels he has a lot to offer Shanks. SKILLS “There are definitely a lot of transferrable skills between the two industries. In terms of leadership, I

have gained a lot of experience and knowledge in the automotive trade and, crucially, the ability to develop and grow continuous improvement,” said the keen cyclist and family man. “I have a lot to learn as I’m by no means an expert in compliance or procurement, but I’m confident in expanding my knowledge through the good managers supporting me.” Alastair is adamant that cost cutting is not the only key objective, with his main priority being to nurture sustainable improvement to secure our future. “I think our business has had some great investment over the past few years and now it’s really about making our sites as

efficient as possible. By understanding what Shanks needs in the long, medium and short term, I can help to devise a strategy to ensure Shanks is the best it can be.” MISSION To get to grips with his new role, Alastair has made it his mission to visit every site during his induction – so far, managing all bar two – to get a flavour of the style and the culture of our business. “I’ve made it a priority to sit down with individuals from the engineering, compliance and procurement teams. Not only does that benefit me but, hopefully, it allows people to understand my leadership style – speaking face to face, finding out what they

find difficult in the business and how I can support that.” When it comes to first impressions, the teamwork shown across all levels of the business has been obvious, according to Alastair. “The people of Shanks really are fantastic. It’s been a challenging year financially, but I am confident that these challenges can be overcome because of the brilliant people that Shanks employs.” PLATE-SPINNING Alastair is beaten to goody-bag treats by his daughter after When Alastair isn’t completing a triathlon event travelling from site to site, he is busy ferrying his children to extracurricular activities, so knows what mornings five times a week. it’s like to spin plates. “When I get time to myself, I like “All of my kids are busy doing cycling and playing squash with my hobbies – unfortunately, one of them Shropshire league teammates.” is swimming, which involves early

IT’S NIFTY TO BE THRIFTY East London pupils set the trend with kit-for-cash thrift shop An average of 350,000 tonnes of clothes are sent to landfill in the UK every year. That sobering statistic has inspired thrifty students to turn this around and develop their enterprise skills with the (Re)Love Our Stuff project. As part of the initiative, curated by Keep Britain Tidy and funded by Shanks and DEFRA, three east London schools – St Ursula’s Junior and Wykeham Primary in Havering, and Winsor Primary in Newham – put together groups of pupils, aged between 7 and 10, to collect and resell second-hand uniforms. PUPIL-LED Emily Holt, Education and Engagement Officer, based at Jenkins Lane, said the groups of up to 24 pupils per school showed incredible initiative to ensure the project was a roaring success. She said: “The kids were either on ecocommittees or their school council and took the initiative to host meetings with me once every two weeks so we could discuss how they were going to promote it. I provided the general framework, but the scheme was primarily pupil-led.” The children were tasked with arranging collections and running thriftshop-style stalls once a term, taking charge of distribution, pricing, the cash till and promoting the scheme. Emily said: “Our aim was to divert 400kg of waste from landfill and the children managed to exceed this,

minutes with… Pierre Perras Loader Operator, Ottawa Facility

What does your role involve?

Best and worst part of your job?

How would your colleagues describe you?

Favourite sports team?

Something you’re most proud of?

Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

I am in charge of receiving deliveries at Orgaworld Ottawa. This is mostly comprised of curbside trucks from the City of Ottawa, however, we do also receive commercial loads.

The children are investing their profits in roof repairs and a ‘bug hotel’

Did you know?

recycling 430kg in two months and raising £200 for other projects.” APPRENTICES Aside from raising cash, the scheme is designed to change perceptions about secondhand clothing and engage the community. St Ursula’s Junior School said it was such a beneficial scheme that they are continuing it. The young apprentices have since put their hard-earned cash towards repairing the roof at one school, funding playground equipment and purchasing a ‘bug hotel’ to be hosted in school grounds. Emily said: “We have a resource pack to share with schools and we’d like to extend this to secondary schools too.”

30% APPROXIMATELY

OF THE CLOTHES IN OUR WARDROBES HAVEN’T BEEN WORN IN OVER A YEAR

Furniture fit for the Queen Calling Agent Compost! What started as a request to keep pre-loved furniture to one side has turned into a thriving social enterprise, which would have been impossible without the support of our Wakefield HWRC colleagues. The Queen’s Park Recycling Initiative approached Shanks a few years ago to ask if we could keep aside old sofas, kitchen items and garden furniture for homeless and vulnerable people in Castleford. Now Wakefield, Glasshoughton and South Kirkby HWRCs have allocated

June 2016 ❙ 05

whole containers on-site as holding areas for donations that are given some TLC and then passed on. Some are also sold to fund local causes, including community makeovers and drug awareness programmes.

Children in Wakefield are being encouraged to donate old gadgets as part of an electronic waste campaign. Twenty schools will be visited in May by Corporal ‘Ria.’ Cycle, Agent Compost and General Waste – aka performance troupe Enact Solutions – who’ll use theatre to bring to life the dangers of binning electrical items. Jade Wilkes, South Kirkby Education Officer, said: “When sent to landfill, electronic waste can release hazardous chemicals that poison the soil. They also contain valuable materials that can

be reused, for example, PlayStations contain gold in the circuit boards.” Parents and children can take unwanted electronics into school where the Shanks team will collect them and pass on to be recycled.

The best part is having the flexibility to be doing different things throughout the day. I enjoy going from being on the floor to being in the loader. The worst part is dealing with the dampness in the winter months: the wet and cold bothers my arthritis.

I think as a jokester, but also positive, pleasant and hard-working.

The Montreal Canadiens, but I would support any Canadian hockey team!

Any time I try my best at something and am able to succeed, whether at work or in life.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

06 ❙ June 2016

MEET OUR CANADIAN TEAM WHO ARE

LONDON’S CALLING Our team in London, Ontario, are proof that going the extra mile for customers is good for business and with 21 new contracts in a year, word is definitely spreading Chances are, if you drive through South Western Ontario, the luscious fields that surround you will be fertilized by organics treated at our London composting facility. One of the major food baskets of North America, Ontario is responsible for around a third of the country’s corn production… thanks in part to our Orgaworld colleagues. The modest-size team of 17 transform the organic waste from the cities of Toronto, St Thomas, York and the Region of Peel, turning over an impressive 96,000 tonnes of organic waste every year. The new recruits at our Canadian head office – including former ELWA Contract Director Tony Burnett – have inspired confidence that the intake could be even higher. And with 21 new commercialsector contracts won in just over a year, it appears that could happen. ADAPTING Ontario Operations Manager Nick Pora said: “We’ve really turned a corner at London and our team are making real efforts to be responsive to our customers’ needs, whether that be stakeholders, neighbours or our farmers.” Orgaworld can now list industry leaders Walmart and Metro/Food Basics as customers, proving that our Canadian operations are going from strength to strength. “There has been a really positive attitude change,” Nick continued. “Before, if there was extra tonnage coming into the facilities, it would be like ‘How do we handle this?’. And now it’s like ‘Bring it on!’.” The 30 operations employees at Ottawa and London take in source-separated organics from more than 100 municipal and commercial trucks every day combined and have been a key part of the recent progress seen in Canada. “The Operations team are a critical part of the process, from the moment the trucks arrive to when they leave. They are the face that greets the drivers, they scale the loads, shred and mix the compost

Good customer relations are a top priority for the team, including Composting Process Supervisor Joel Rutty

Doug Parks manages 15,000 acres of land and is one of Orgaworld’s biggest customers

The food waste coming in from new customers is adding variety to our compost recipe

It’s through the knowledge from our Shanks colleagues that we can try new approaches. With this new mind-set, we can lead as a game changer before it goes into tunnels, and empty and screen it after it has been treated for 14 days, ready to go on the farmer’s land. Without their support and shared vision, we couldn’t be taking these great steps to grow the business,” Nick added. COMMITMENT With ICI contracts increasingly hard to acquire, London has had to think outside the box to make its mark in the commercial sector, and colleagues have come up with some inventive solutions to grab the attention of potential customers. “Walmart has a particular problem with the way it stores organic waste. The waste is kept in 95-gallon drums that are messy, attract rodents and flies, and are very labour-intensive to shift around,” said Sales Manager Chris O’Toole. The Ottawa team offered to accept 65 drums from stores three times a week, empty them manually and pressure wash them ready for collection in the afternoon, when they would take in the next load of drums. “It worked so well that we earned more of

For grain farmers such as Jack Koetsier, our product helps nourish the ground in place of organic matter from livestock their business; we now accept organics from 16 more Walmart stores in South Western Ontario,” added Chris. This commitment to providing valueadded service has been putting our team on the map and allowing us to get ahead of the competition. Chris said: “Our team are heading in a fresh direction and it’s certainly paying off. We’re not just looking to maintain operations but to improve and grow the business.” A recent achievement for London has been the acquisition of the Region of Peel’s overflow organics contract, which is worth $460,000, just over £230,000. With Peel’s three-year organics contract up for tender following the year-long trial, securing the overflow agreement puts Orgaworld

June 2016 ❙ 07

RE PUT TING OUR COMPOST ON THE MAP

KEY STATISTICS

NEW CUSTOMERS, INCLUDING CUDDY FARMS – THE WORLD’S LARGEST SUPPLIER OF TURKEY

16,000 TONNES OF COMPOST FROM OUR LONDON FACILITY GOES ON TO FARMERS’ LAND EACH YEAR

in a strong position for future business. And colleagues have united in their quest to ‘woo’ the customer, making a fuss over their first delivery and sending a gift basket to them. SUSTAINABLE The new business has meant an added intake of 15,000 tonnes a year of organic waste and enables Ontario’s Agricultural Specialist Ian Streight to expand our output. “I’m responsible for finding homes for the stuff that comes out the back door. It’s really important to maintain good relationships with the farmers as without them taking the compost, it would have to go to landfill,” he said. “Farmers are coming around to the benefit of our product as it enables (l-r) Site Supervisor Dave Thomas, the soil to hold more nutrients. Composting Process Supervisor Joel Rutty Without the organic matter, you and Operations Manager Nick Pora can’t grow sustainable crops.”

GAME CHANGER As a farmer himself, Ian can ‘speak the language’. “A lot of the business growth is through word of mouth – the strategy where a farmer is very happy and then tells three friends about it; that is really working for us. We want to encourage these farmers to continue to grow and to grow with us,” he said. Chris added: “I’ve often been asked why North America is so far behind Europe with organics and diverting waste from landfill. It’s through the knowledge learned from our Shanks colleagues that we can try new approaches. With this new mind-set, we can lead as a game changer in the industry.”

London HQ (l-r) Nick Pora, Michael Rooke, Chris O’Toole, Tony Burnett, Jennifer Mercer, Eric Zevenhuizen, Elton Salvador and Teresa Spruce

Colleagues are going the extra mile to impress new customers, including the Region of Peel

08 ❙ June 2016

News in brief

Xxxx xxxl xxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xyx xxx xx x x x

CAKES FOR A WORTHY CAUSE Credit Controller Virginia Wyllie raised £230 with a Guess the Weight of the Cake event for her friend Jane, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Jane’s daughter is hoping to bring her wedding forward two years so her mum can attend. Read more at gofundme.com/rypjecys

WHEELY GOOD Argyll and Bute colleagues have been using their initiative to make even more from waste. Lingerton HWRC’s Site Supervisor Colin MacInnes has been passing on unwanted bikes to local charities, who refurbish them and sell them on to raise funds.

ROCKING HORSE For Agresso Development and Support Manager Dawn Coupe, owning a horse has been part of a lifelong dream, so imagine her delight when she recently became the proud owner of ex-showjumper Eva, also known by her stable name of Rock and Rose.

Craig said the nominations were a complete surprise and to actually win was ‘something else’

(l-r) ELWA dream team Brian Marston, Terry Rogers, David Marlow and Marcos Otero-Vega

BACK IN BUSINESS THANKS TO YOU Months of tireless dedication set to finally pay off as rebuild at fire-hit Frog Island nears a close Colleagues at a Shanks site devastated by fire are set to breathe a big sigh of relief as the refinement section is finally handed back to Shanks. It can’t come soon enough for the dedicated MBT team at Frog Island, who have changed their lives to ensure business as usual at the London site.

back in 2014, the entire refinement building, including all of the equipment, was destroyed, meaning all production of SRF, RDF and the extraction of recyclable materials ground to a halt. “The refinement section is designed to extract recyclable materials from the waste, such as scrap metals, glass and

RESILIENCE They and neighbouring teams across the ELWA contract have been praised for their resilience and support while the refinement rebuild has been underway. When flames tore through the plant

It’s been a major challenge and a real team effort to keep things ticking over

stone, and, ultimately, create SRF – a recovered fuel that gets sent to cement kilns as a fossil fuel replacement,” said Amy McGowan, Frog Island MBT Operations Manager. “So all of that capability has been lost since the fire.” DEMANDING But the production of RDF, a key part of our contract, continued thanks to a modified process that saw waste, moved by crane, filtered through a bypass door and manually shifted by a loading shovel into a truck to be baled. Amy said: “Because removing the material from the bypass door is a lot slower and more laborious, we’ve

found we’ve had to keep operating into the night. “It’s been a major challenge and a real team effort to keep things ticking over and the team have changed their day-to-day jobs to help. The work is not as pleasant, but the guys have just got stuck in.” Now that waste is running through the new refinement section, once the quality of our recyclable material has been stabilised by some fine-tuning, Frog Island will be inviting old offtakers to visit to take a look at the product.

CRAIG’S JOY OVER LUCKIER BREAK EMPLOYEE OF THE

QUARTER

Craig Capper may be steadily recovering at home with a broken leg, but that didn’t stop the Senior Operations Manager from getting some well-deserved recognition. Described as an ‘excellent role model’ by one nominator, Craig set a precedent for the employee recognition scheme after receiving not one but two nominations.

Our South Kirkby stalwart was completely shocked at the news he’d been selected for the accolade. “I’m not one for taking credit,” he said. “But I appreciate it all the same. Being a part of and leading the South Kirkby operations team is an absolute pleasure.” HARD-WORKING “Craig works above and beyond his management role and he is always approachable,” said one nominator. “He is hard-working throughout the day and night and deserves to be recognised for the commitment he gives to Shanks,” they added. The other praised Craig’s dedication to his leadership role, going the extra mile to support junior members of the team. “He always shows great integrity and

is a great mentor for people who want to improve themselves.” Craig felt humbled to be nominated and is bouncing back after intensive surgery on his leg. “I was in agony in the run-up to full service, so it feels great to be on the mend. As a manager though, you are only as good as the team around you, so I’m dedicating this award to them – the team that made full service a reality.”

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO DESERVES SOME RECOGNITION?

NOMINATE

Fill in the ConnectUs nomination form and email to joanne.keep@shanks.co.uk

June 2016 ❙ 09

WE’RE BUILDING THE PERFECT TEAM TO…

… DELIVER DERBY New recruits set to kick-start site

Victoria George’s first job when she started at Shanks was to hire her new colleagues for our pioneering Waste Treatment Centre in Derby. The new Site Administrator has been using her experience since December to make sure we find the cream of the crop ready for when our new site launches in spring 2017. With construction milestones arriving thick and fast since August 2014, colleagues running the interim contract have been working hard to reduce the landfill rate of their council partners ready for the go-live date. DELIVER And they have more than delivered in several key areas, including the recovery of reusable materials and the shipment of RDF overseas. So much so that since the start of our 2010 interim contract, Derby and Derbyshire’s landfill rate has been reduced from between 60 and 70% to 27%. With significant aspects of the unique site coming together, Victoria is spreading the word to find budding waste experts to help continue the success story. “By March this year more than 1,090 people had expressed an interest in 44 jobs. It’s great that we’ve been getting so much attention,” said

Construction of the new Derby and Derbyshire Waste Treatment Centre is well under way

Victoria, who specialised in training recruitment before joining Shanks. She added: “We’ve received 126 applications for our first 12 operations jobs and more than half

of the applications were from people who lived locally.” Shanks has been using progressive new methods to open up the positions to as many people as possible and has staggered interviews to ensure each applicant gets the time they deserve. The team of managers appointed to run the facility have been handson throughout the entire interview process so that they can handpick

MEET A TRIO OF OUR NEW STARTERS Richard Hodgson Engineering Manager

Where have you worked before? A: I previously worked for Canadian company ATCO Power at its London base. I’ve also worked within the Shell petrochemical business. Impressions of Shanks so far? A: An extremely hard-working company. Shanks is standing behind its strategy of making more from waste and through the Derby project, it is delivering its vision. Best thing about your new job? A: Creating a good future by recruiting excellent people, setting high standards and utilising best practices from within existing Shanks facilities.

Q Q

Phil Preece General Manager

What is your previous experience? A: I started my engineering career with the Royal Navy, travelling the world working on projects for the UN and US, and UK federal agencies. After project managing for Procter & Gamble, I ran a team of service engineers at Veolia Water. Impressions of Shanks so far? A: Shanks has an impressive record, where change and growth have been the keys to its most recent successes and continued growth. The first thing you pick up on is how everyone is exceptionally friendly, as well as very knowledgeable and proud. Best thing about your new job? A: The challenge of taking the site from construction to full working.

Nick Hambridge Operations Manager

What is your previous experience? A: I trained as an electrical technician at Pirelli. I spent 18 years in various operations roles at Derwent Power Station and more than three years as operations manager at FCC – Eastcroft Energy from Waste plant. Impressions of Shanks so far? A: Shanks is a forward-thinking company with a big focus on continuous improvement and investment in employees. Best thing about your new job? A: The Derby and Derbyshire Waste Treatment Centre (DDWTC) is the first plant of its kind and, therefore, presents a unique and exciting challenge.

Q Q

By March this year more than 1090 people had expressed an interest in 44 jobs their team and meet their potential new colleagues. Victoria said: “We want new starters to know that there is no hierarchy at Derby, everyone pitches in to get the job done. We are pushing a culture of transparency where people can be open about and learn from their mistakes.” DIVERSE All new starters have come from a mix of backgrounds, from coal to power plants and waste, but Victoria has made sure a diverse age range are onboard to make the team the strongest they can be. “We’re lucky to have some really qualified colleagues coming onboard with decades of experience, as well as colleagues new to the waste industry who are really eager to learn.”

TOP DRAWER!

Applicants from as far as Aberdeen showed interest

NUMBER CRUNCH Four months and 49 new starters. Here’s the breakdown

SHIFT TEAM LEADERS

PLANT OPERATIVES

13 x

ENGINEERING OPERATIVES

19 x

OPERATIONAL STAFF

GENERAL MANAGER

ENGINEERING MANAGER

1 x OPERATIONS MANAGER

QHSE ADVISOR

SITE ADMINISTRATOR

10 ❙ June 2016

Did you know?

MILLION TONNES OF LITTER Keep Britain Tidy estimates that more than 30 million tonnes of litter is collected from streets in England every year; enough to fill four Wembley stadiums.

40% REDUCTION IN ACCIDENT RATES ACROSS MUNICIPAL

Accident rates across the Municipal Division have decreased by almost half. Thanks to your commitment to safety, close calls have also increased by 250%.

Quick-thinking Team Leader, ‘jumping Jake flash’, averted belt blaze disaster

EAGLE-EYE JAKE When sparks flew, Jake Hammond and his team moved fast to avert potential disaster

Colleagues who acted quickly and efficiently to tackle a potentially devastating blaze have won praise from both managers and our insurers. When a fire started at our South Kirkby MDR MRF facility, after a damaged battery self-combusted on a sorting line, the team quickly swung into action. The belt travels at 6.5mph, but it took quick-thinking Team Leader Jake Hammond under two seconds to react; before the alarms could even go off.

Even though South Kirkby has the latest fire detection and protection systems, the best fire detectors are human eyes, noses and ears, and the best response is a trained and immediate one. Great work!

He brought the conveyor to an emergency stop, prevented the fire from spreading down the line and alerted colleagues by radio, who accounted for everyone on-site within minutes. Jake and MDR MRF pickers extinguished the battery and used a hand shovel to quickly take the battery outside, spraying it with foam as it continued to smoulder. As a safety precaution, the whole facility was evacuated, but pickers were allowed back in the building and all equipment was back up and running within 20 minutes, thanks to their rapid response. AMAZING John Mellon, our Speciality Risk Account Manager at Aviva, said the team’s swift and appropriate response should be applauded: “This type of proactive and calm behaviour is very much welcomed. “Even though the South Kirkby facility has the latest fire detection and protection systems, the best fire detectors are human eyes, noses and ears, and the best response is a trained and immediate one. Great work!”

62% OF THE POPULATION DROPS LITTER Keep Britain Tidy found that, while 62% of people dropped litter, just 28% admitted to doing so.

OUR ABI TALKS RUBBISH ON AIR Q

Just seconds after this picture was taken, Jake and the team were on the case Site Manager Mike Walter said the lithium ion drill battery – which is not permitted for disposal in Wakefield’s residential waste bins – may have been damaged prior to collection and then agitated by the sorting process, causing the fire. “Our team were amazing in their detection, calm response when dealing with the fire and safe, efficient manner in which the building was evacuated,” he said. “We work closely with Wakefield Council, who continue to educate residents about which waste types are appropriate for the recycling bin.”

What do a meditation guru, charity boss and one of our education officers have in common? A. They all have great news to share on air. The three women were guests on a live local radio show that celebrates positive community news in and around the Doncaster area near our Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) site. SOUND BITES Sine FM presenter Yve Robinson invited our Community Education Liaison Officer Abi Cox to the studio when the production team heard about the work we’re doing with schools in the area. The DN Good News Network show was keen to spread the news of BDR’s National Recycling Award nominations and the innovative It’s A Rubbish Adventure! children’s workshops we run. Abi said: “Local radio likes a good recycling story after

Christmas, so I know all sorts of weird sound bite stats such as ‘did you know the UK buys around eight million real Christmas trees a year?’. “I’ve done a few radio appearances, so I tend to be the person who gets put forward. Yve’s show is a great way to raise awareness about the good things going on at Shanks.” Want to hear Abi’s interview? Visit sinefm.com/a_z_of_shows/ dn_good_news_network

BDR OR WAKEFIELD? IT’S A CLOSE CALL

June 2016 ❙ 11

Both innovative waste treatment facilities are turning heads and earning industry plaudits

a year ago, 4,000 children have enjoyed the workshop that gives first-hand insight into the facilities by replicating the process on a smaller scale. “We’ve worked closely with the museum’s Education Manager, Stuart Ballard, to curate the project,” said Abi.

There’s nothing wrong with a bit of friendly rivalry, and our BDR and Wakefield facilities will experience just that when they go headto-head at this year’s National Recycling Awards. The two new Shanks facilities have been nominated for three categories each, but share stakes in the Private Public Sector Partnerships category – celebrating effective teamwork between the councils and our facilities. COLLABORATION But Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham’s (BDR) Abi Cox insists there will be no hard feelings, whatever the outcome: “The awards cover a massive range of project types in the private and public sector, so there are a lot of categories. Luckily, the award celebrates cross-sector collaboration rather than pitching the sites against each other!” Wakefield has received accreditation in the ‘three-stream communications campaign’ for keeping residents in the

loop while the number of household bins was streamlined from four to three. Project Coordinator Sally Hurn said: “Council colleagues took the initiative to deliver leaflets to residents, as well as going door to door, and Shanks and the council used our websites to spread the word about the change.” BDR has received equal recognition for its science workshop, It’s A Rubbish Adventure!. Since its initial set-up, in partnership with Rotherham’s Magna Science Museum, just over

ENGINEERING Funded by a grant from the Royal Academy of Engineering to encourage kids to pursue science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) career paths, It’s A Rubbish Adventure! involves teams of youngsters competing to sort waste. With BDR delivering an unprecedented partnership between three councils, two companies (Shanks and SSE) and Ferrybridge multifuel facility, and Wakefield delivering its promised 95% diversion rate on a 25year contract with Wakefield Council, it’s going to be a tough one to call.

PEOPLE TO IMPROVE HOW WE WORK Do you think we could work smarter? Do you want to make a change for the better? If you’ve answered yes and work in Argyll and Bute or Dumfries and Galloway, then step forward and make a change. Two new representatives are needed to fly the flag for our Scottish facilities at the ‘round table’ meetings. The Communications Forum, representing all corners of

EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER PAST NOMINEES

WINNERS BRIAN FRANCIS

(left) Kids get stuck in at a BDR; and (above) South Kirkby recently won a 2016 Civic Society Design Award

MBT Manufacturing Team Leader Hespin Wood MBT

JAMIE BAINES

Hygiene Operator Sowerby Woods MBT

Site Traffic Controller South Kirkby MBT

Site Operative Glasshoughton HWRC

PHILIP RUSHFORTH

Supervisor BDR MBT

Senior Operations Manager South Kirkby

JOE MCGEACHAN Supervisor Stewartry Transfer Station

DAVID SKETT

JULIET WHALING BDR Office Manager BDR Office

KEVIN SMITH

ICT Manager Dunedin House

ANDY BOWYER

Site Manager Gerpins Lane CA Site

Weighbridge Operator BDR MBT

RICHARD LOMAS

SIMON BETTS

having passed with flying colours, Alison will be equipped to help solve some missions of our own at Shanks. She said: “Thanks for all your good wishes; they must have given me that boost when I took the exam!”

Agresso Support Analyst Dunedin House

GARY GILLATT

CRAIG CAPPER

YOUR MISSION, SHOULD YOU ACCEPT IT…

ANN DAVIS

Operations Supervisor Elstow MRF

Process Design Manager Capital Projects

Derby Controller Derby

News in brief

STEVE PAGE

BRENDAN COURT

YASIR IQBAL

The hard work has finally paid off for Alison Mpouki after she successfully completed her Project Management PRINCE 2 qualification. The process-based training is used extensively by the UK government, so, hopefully,

the UK Shanks empire, has already: • secured extra annual leave for long servers • begun talks over employee benefits and making access to nomination forms easier • launched the Employee of the Quarter initiative. And for the first time, ReNEWS can reveal below all the nominees who have been considered for the popular accolade.

ICT Project Manager Dunedin House

RAY JAMES

UK Technical Advisor Engineering & Performance

Commissioning & Optimisation Manager BDR Office

VIRGINIA WYLLIE

Credit Controller Dunedin House

CRAIG MCGILL

IAN DOUGHTY

Shift Maintenance Technician South Kirkby Maintenance

JOHN BOAG

Controller Northern PFI Region Finance

JOHN LAWSON

Transport and Operations Manager South Kirkby Transport

STEVE ROBERTS

Site Supervisor Ilford Recycling Centre

DAVID LIVESEY

Site Operative Glasshoughton HWRC

JO EVERSON

Administrator Denby Dale Road

WE NEED YOU!

The Comms Forum is looking for representatives from A&B and D&G. For more info, email Forum Secretary Jo Keep on joanne.keep@shanks.co.uk

12 ❙ June 2016

WIN!

ReNEWS SPORT MARATHON NOVICE STEPS INTO UNKNOWN

A Sony digital DSR-H400 camera

Get snapping for your chance to win a Sony camera How do I enter? Send us

your inspired landscape shots of our Shanks sites in the summertime and the best shot will win the prize and feature in the next issue of ReNEWS. Tip Send your selected images to: communications@shanks.co.uk for your chance to win.

HOP-ALONG-HEIDI SMASHES 26-MILER

Fitness enthusiast Heidi Brown swore she’d never run a marathon again, but our TFS Coordinator has recently completed her second one to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. “My colleague and best friend Kelly Warner’s mum is a sufferer, so the cause is personal to me. I was chuffed to raise £800,” she said. Heidi was left in agony from an Achilles heel injury part way through the Brighton race, but made it across the finishing line, matching her previous year’s race time of 4 hours 5 minutes.

All entries must be submitted via email by 31 July 2016 and include your name and contact details.

EMAIL: communications@shanks.co.uk TERMS AND CONDITIONS The winning image will be the one judged to be the most visually appealing, original and relevant to the theme and will feature in the next edition of ReNEWS. The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. ReNEWS reserves the right to change the prize without prior notice. The prize cannot be exchanged for cash. The closing date is 31 July 2016.

1 4

This newspaper is printed on improved newsprint, which comes from sustainable forest growth. When you have finished with your copy, please pass it on to a colleague or recycle it. It is also available in the Municipal Communications Community on ConnectUs.

Communications Champion

SEE P2 FOR YOUR

HAVE YOUR SAY

SUDOKU SOLUTION

There must be something in the water at Wakefield… ...after a flurry of new arrivals for colleagues based at the South Kirkby site. Wakefield Controller Claire Kinman welcomed baby girl Cianna on 1 December, Recycling Centre colleague Ben Devereux became dad to Emma Grace on 18 November, Wakefield Maintenance colleague Dave Ward welcomed daughter Faye on 5 April and Procurement Manager Martin Capper – who often visits the site – became a dad for the first time to Joseph George on 13 April (see inset pictures).

Charitable UK Plant and Vehicles Manager Chris Byrne has transformed his passion for football into a fundraiser for good causes. As part of his ‘football pools’, up to 39 colleagues a week chip in a minimum of £1 to predict scores for upcoming fixtures. Half of the takings are put into a prize pot and the rest go to charity. The Liverpool supporter said:“Since the start of the season, we’ve raised £686.50 for charities including Cancer Research, Macmillan and Help for Heroes.” Interested in setting up your own pools? Contact Chris on Chris.Byrne@shanks.co.uk

CHARIT Y POOLS KICKS OFF

… 1

South Kirkby Project Coordinator Sally Hurn will be dusting off her running kit for her eleventh Race for Life event on 5 June. Sally will be joined by her friend Cath and mum, Catherine, for the 5k course, hosted in the grounds of Leeds’ Temple Newsam. “Our team name is the G ‘n’ T Girls, named after our favourite tipple. Cath and I lost our dads to cancer last year, so the event’s taken on a new meaning for both of us.” If you would like to sponsor Sally, visit justgiving.com/thegandtgirls

SALLY LIMBERS UP FOR RACE FOR LIFE

Congratulations to Argyll and Bute Financial Controller Claire Stanton, who won a Roberts Revival Radio by correctly answering last issue’s competition question, quoting extra hours worked over the Cumbria contract during the flooding as 400.

LAST ISSUE’S WINNER!

Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9. Once you’ve wrapped your head around this grid-based puzzle, check your success in the solution box below right.

Think you’ve got what it takes? Put your number-crunching and quick-thinking skills to the test during your break with this medium difficulty sudoku

SUDOKU JUST FOR FUN

You’ll be shooting like a pro if you get your hands on this fantastic ReNEWS prize. Sony’s Cyber-Shot Bridge Camera is feature-packed and its powerful 63x optical zoom lens means you won’t miss a thing. The prize also comes with a SanDisk 16GB memory card, so you can be assured your favourite pictures are stored safely.

Bid Manager Craig Owen has raised £1,800 for his chosen London Marathon charity VICTA in support of children with visual impairments. “I’ve been blown away by people’s generosity, especially at Shanks,” he said. Modest Craig reserved any grand expectations for his race time, saying he would ‘finish at least’ but managed a time of 4 hours 15 minutes.