ReNews Issue 01 by Sonder

! e s N I o o W h c You AN APPLE ! TV BOX e m a n r u o AND

SEE PAGE 12

FOR ALL YOUR SHANKS UK NEWS AND VIEWS

MAKING OLYMPIC MEMORIES GOLDEN

How we helped turn dreams into reality – P8

May 2014

THE LIFESAVER FROM FROG ISLAND Chris is our hero – P3

SHAPING YOUR FUTURE Our first ever Group-wide engagement survey will capture your feedback – and act on it

A major opportunity for every Shanks employee to have their say on the future of the business will get under way in June. The Pulse survey is your chance to tell us what it’s really like to work for Shanks, so we need you all to take the time to help us shape an even brighter future for everyone. There have been a lot of changes in the business over the past year, with a greater emphasis on diversion, innovation and energy creation, so now we want to hear how you feel.

MEET THE BUG MAN Turn to page 5

MOMENTUM The results from the survey, which opens in June, will be key to us shaping our future around you and keeping the positive momentum going for years to come. Employees across the UK have two weeks to complete the survey and make their feelings known, with all responses passed on to help decide on local action plans for the year ahead. The survey’s questions are focused on several categories. They include: ● work environment; ● relationship with colleagues and line managers; ● your view of the future with Shanks.

This year’s survey is being managed by an external survey provider called Effectory, so all of your responses will be treated anonymously to encourage you to be completely honest with your feedback – giving us a better feel for what it’s like across the business. HONEST FEEDBACK “We hope the actions we plan as a result of the survey will help to empower teams to take even more responsibility for their work, encourage greater commitment and inspire everybody to help Shanks progress,” said Sam Lock, UK HR Director. “It’s crucial that we move forward together and to do that, we need honest and constructive feedback.” She added: “To make sure we are all working to our full potential we need everyone’s feedback.” To read more about why Pulse matters, turn to page 7.

02 ❙ May 2014

Shanks UK MD PETER EGLINTON

Hello

BUTE-IFUL RESULTS The work of our teams north of the border in reducing pollution has been recognised. Ratings based on continuous site assessments by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency showed that we have made big improvements at all our sites. The Argyll and Bute team’s hard work paid off, with Lingerton Landﬁll’s (pictured above) assessment rising from ‘broadly compliant’ to ‘good’ while Dalinlongart Landﬁll climbed three categories to ‘good’. All of the Argyll and Bute Waste Management Licence sites scored ‘excellent’. All our sites are regulated for emissions to air, water, land, and noise and energy use. Gail Orr, Contract Operations Manager, Argyll and Bute, said: “The results are proof of our hard work, but we can’t be complacent.”

Welcome to your brand-new newspaper

Hello and welcome to the first new-look edition of the Shanks newspaper. That’s not actually its name – as you’ll have noticed on the front cover, where we have asked you to help us decide on a title that best reflects the changes we’re making in the business. The past six months have seen a shift in our business priorities and we are placing much more emphasis on diversion and energy creation, along with some of the other things that the UK Leadership team have identified as key drivers for the year ahead. Take a look on page 6. But the Leadership team’s to-do list long term will also be influenced by the responses they see from the Pulse survey, so please do make sure you take a few minutes to fill it out when you receive it in June.

SUCCESSES

Although I’ve been invited to write this column for the launch issue, our regular editor Helen Kemp will be keeping a close eye on what goes into future editions. But, as with the Pulse survey, we want to make this newspaper, whatever it’s called, a newspaper for you and by you. Each quarter we will bring you all the latest innovation, business wins and successes for us all to share in, but we also want to hear about some of the personal successes of the people who make up our teams. At Shanks, we don’t leave our personalities at the door because as a business we are only as good or successful as the people we work alongside. That’s why Helen and her editorial team are keen to hear about your triumphs both in and outside of work. Take a look through this edition, see what you think,, and do let us know what you’d like to see included at communications@shanks.co.uk I hope you enjoy the read.

ELWA’s Mark Townley and Amy Pitch, at one of the summits

ON THE ROAD TO SAFETY Colleague feedback at touring roadshows crucial to making our people even safer A touring health and safety roadshow is visiting colleagues across the country, as we aim to make your workplace safer.

Peter

HAVE YOUR SAY

Text or email your story to us on:

07860 021367

shanks@summersault.co.uk

Held by UK Managing Director Peter Eglinton and Head of Systems Compliance Kez Grimley, the summits are focusing on front-line employees and the challenges they face on a day-to-day basis. The roadshow is visiting each UK operational site and aims to ﬁnd solutions for any health and safety issues, based on feedback from the people working there. “We see the events as discussion forums and an opportunity for front-line employees to suggest improvements for where they work,” explained Kez. “It’s good for engagement and gives us a chance to talk about where the health and safety strategy is going and provide a background to the new structure.” CHALLENGES All the information gathered at the events will go towards next year’s compliance strategy, with other future safety project decisions based on what is said too. Following the first meetings, some changes have been implemented already This newspaper is produced by Summersault Communications. Editor: Jim Levack, Sub Editors: Kate Feasey/Karen Darlow, Art Editor: Sarah Overs, Production Manager: Jo Malby.

23-25 Waterloo Place, Warwick Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 5LA www.summersault.co.uk

and Kez says it shows the roadshow approach is the right one. “It’s been successful so far. The opinion is that safety is going in the right direction, but even more could be done to improve.

“We wanted to involve people who work on site because they know the challenges they deal with best. It shows everybody is listened to and their input is important when it comes to making decisions in safety.”

TIME TO GET CREATIVE Play your part in giving our safety strategy a new look and win an iPad mini for your efforts with our competition. We want you to get creative and send in ideas for our new safety logo and strapline. The best entry will be selected as the face of the new safety strategy. The winner’s logo and strapline will then appear on all of our UK safety publications and documents, and will represent Shanks’ commitment to safety in the workplace. As well as the privilege of seeing their design everywhere, the winner will also be given an iPad mini. To enter, all you need to do is fill in the postcard found in this edition of the newspaper and send it in to us with your ideas on. The closing date for the competition is 12 June 2014, so it’s time to get thinking – good luck!

ENTER NOW Your entry form is in this edition of the newspaper.

May 2014 ❙ 03

Saving for your future A good way to ensure a bright future when you retire – that’s how Gary Foote views our employee pension scheme.

The 32-year-old HR Services Administrator admits he should have signed up sooner to the Shanks Group Money Purchase Pension Scheme and believes others should follow suit as soon as they can afford to. “I signed up three years ago, but I kept putting it off because of buying a house and getting married,” recalled Gary. “I wish I’d done it earlier, but it was easy to make reasons not to. I don’t even notice the money going into it now.” If you contribute 5% of your monthly salary into your pension fund, we will match it with 6%, so you start to build a pot. If you don’t join or if you opt out of the scheme, you may be automatically enrolled into The People’s Pension. You contribute 1% to the pension, which is matched by another 1% from Shanks.

IMPORTANT

“I’m glad I did it in the end,” Gary said. “It’s protection for the family and it’s never too early to do that. Working in payroll, I’ve learned a lot about pensions and now know why it’s so important.” For more details of the Shanks pension scheme or to ﬁnd out how to sign up, visit the Shanks intranet site, click ‘Library’ and type ‘Pension’ under keywords, or call 01908 650650 and ask to speak to the HR Services team.

LIFE OR DEATH

A collaboration tool, which will help everyone in Shanks to connect and share ideas, will be rolled out across the UK in the coming weeks. The new ConnectUs system means we will be able to send instant messages, work together online on projects, share best practice and organise meetings more easily. Trained Super Users in each region will be the ﬁrst point of contact for colleagues who may have questions about how to use ConnectUs, which allows users to send emails too. ConnectUs will also enable us to: ● search for people with particular expertise across the Group and ask them questions; ● join communities to work together on projects; ● quickly share ﬁles and comments.

A yacht in trouble or a plant breakdown, Chris is the man to turn to

Chris proves he’s always our man in a crisis If there’s an emergency at work, Chris Maher is almost certain to have the coolest head of all.

GET CONNECTED

(above) Chris at the helm and debriefing with colleagues (below)

When you’re used to rescuing drowning people from the murky depths of the River Thames in giant waves, the problem of a plant breakdown is easily solved. The South Region Engineering Manager’s sense of perspective comes with the territory, as he combines his maintenance role with that of an RNLI lifeboatman. Based at our aptly named Frog Island site, Chris is a fully qualiﬁed helmsman on one of four rescue boats providing round-the-clock cover on the capital’s river. Part of a three-man team, he volunteers for 12-hour shifts at the RNLI station near the mouth of the Thames in Gravesend, Kent. AT THE HELM By day Chris looks after our two main sites at Frog Island and Jenkins Lane in East London, as well as Westcott Park in Buckinghamshire and our five East London HWRC sites. But off duty he can often be found at the helm of a £200,000 lifeboat capable of cutting through the water at speeds of up to 40 knots. The permanently manned station – there are two others along the

Thames at Tower Bridge and Chiswick – means he and his two colleagues can be at the scene of an emergency within 15 minutes. TRANSFERABLE SKILLS The stations were all created in 2002 after the 1989 Marchioness disaster, when the pleasure boat collided with a dredger and 51 people drowned. “My lifeboat work is completely different to my Shanks job, but there are definitely skills that can be transferred between both,” he said.

“My leadership skills have developed a lot and I have also used some of my engineering knowledge on the boat. “It also means that when we have an emergency at work, there isn’t really anything that’s going to make me panic. Once you’ve experienced the adrenalin of going out in the boat on a life or death mission, things take on a new perspective.” Chris believes volunteering outside of Shanks is crucial when it comes to personal and skill development, and

insisted: “I’d encourage everyone to look into it because it really is so incredibly rewarding and helps with the day job.”

Recycling waste and saving lives Lifeboatman Chris and his crew were hailed as heroes after saving the lives of four rowers who were minutes from death. The drama happened last year when a rowing team of eight and their cox got caught up in a severe storm near the mouth of the Thames. Giant waves smashed their boat in two and the Kent mixed crew were left floundering in the water, with no way of calling for help. All would have perished, but they

were spotted by the skipper of a passing London-bound tug, who managed to rescue five of the team. He alerted Chris and his crew, and they quickly found the remaining four, who were being dragged out to deeper water and suffering from hypothermia. Chris said: “They didn’t have long left. When we got them on board the look in their eyes said it all. Later we realised the full enormity of what we’d achieved. We are just so glad we could help.”

04 ❙ May 2014

MEET THE TEAM MAKING OUR NEW AN

NO MORE STIG OF P M U D E H T Taking food waste and turning it into power is helping us to divert even more waste away from landfill Next time you flick on the lights at home, just remember, they could be powered by that cheese sandwich you didn’t eat at lunchtime. More than 3,200 homes will get their energy from the crisps, pasties and cakes we throw away, thanks to Westcott Park’s Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility. Leftover and past-its-sell-by-date grub – 48,000 tonnes of it a year – will end up at our new Westcott Park site, where it’s turned into energy. A team of 14 employees, made up of engineers and multi-skilled operators, oversee the facility, which uses microorganisms (or bugs) to break down biodegradable food to produce methane gas that gets turned into electricity and heat. It sounds simple, but there’s a lot of science that goes into making sure the bugs are working at their peak to make the maximum amount of energy possible.

PORRIDGE

Food waste from homes and retailers, including M&S, comes to our Buckinghamshire facility where the team scoop and load it into The Tiger, a depackaging machine. Water is added to make a thick porridge-like

soup, which is then moved into storage tanks where it is pasteurised to remove harmful bacteria. “From there it goes to our three digesters, where the good bacteria are nurtured to break down the waste,” said Supervisor Steve Young. “This creates biogas, which is stored in a gasbag as bufferage for the two giant CHP (Combined Heat and Power) engines that create electricity and heat.” The site near Bicester helps us achieve in 40 days a process that would take 25 years in landﬁll.

This site... means we can reduce landfill, reduce our carbon footprint and make Shanks synonymous with sustainability and renewable energy production The energy created is fed into the Grid and the facility itself, while the slurry by-product is supplied to farmers as digestate to fertilise their ﬁelds – it has a high nitrogen content. A control room operator monitors each stage of the process. It’s a fully automated process, but each stage has to be monitored to ensure everything is working well.

Other elements like odour control – where air is sucked out of the system and treated using coconut husks – are scrutinised by the team to ensure the waste air is clean and bad odour is removed before it’s discharged into the atmosphere.

SUSTAINABLE

The facility should be working at full capacity by the end of this year. Crucial to hitting that target is Development Director of Organics Simon Rudd, who is busy growing contacts with the right kind of food waste suppliers. “It’s all about getting a good balance of suppliers, who will help us provide the right mix for our digesters,” he said. “The microorganisms in there are like athletes. If you don’t give them the right diet, they won’t perform to their best – that’s why we’re always looking for the right kind of customers.” Every customer pays a gate fee and that, along with the revenue from selling the electricity, is how the site will become proﬁtable. Site Manager Danny Tadd said: “This site means that we can now treat waste as a product in its own right, which we need to create energy. “We can reduce landfill, reduce our carbon footprint and make Shanks synonymous with sustainability and renewable energy production.” And he added: “My friends used to call me Stig of the Dump, but now they call me Mr Methane.”

Karthik Bandla takes readings to ensure peak performance

ANAEROBIC DIGESTION FACILITY TICK

May 2014 ❙ 05

THE NAME’S BANDLA…

Karthik Bandla has the kind of nam e that belongs in a James Bond fi lm – but he’s very much one of the good guys. A qualified biochemist working in the Westcott laboratory, he’s a little like our very own version of Q, just without the spy gadgets. His job is to ensure the bugs or microorganisms are at the perfect biological and chemical balance to break down the food waste and create the maximum amount of methane that can be converted to electric energy. He runs a series of tests on samples taken from the digesters to ensure their chemical balance is at the perfect level. If it isn’t and the

efficiency of the process is threatened, Karthik will make a few adjustments in feed levels, temperature and addition of nutrients to get the metabolism in the system just right. He is linked up to the system through several pieces of equipment, which allow him to report back to the team on wha t kind of food should be accepted in order to make the best food slur ry to feed the digesters. He said: “I check all the parameters and every food sam ple that comes to the site. I take vari ous readings throughout the day. “If we don’t maintain the appropriate metabolism, the microorganisms won’t grow and that affects the whole process. It’s my job to keep everything on trac k. I am the site’s biological mother! ”

DID YOU KNOW?

The two giant CHPs (gas engines) that create the electricity swing into action after food waste is fed into three 3,000m3 digesters, held at 40˚C. Methane gas (CH4) is produced, which is chilled and stored in a gasbag, and used as the CHP’s control and gas bufferage. (Main picture) Day Shift MSO John Howlett and (left) Danny ‘don’t call me Stig’ Tadd

06 ❙ May 2014

Boss admits he’s ‘blown away’ by skills More than 1.2 million tonnes of waste pass through our hands each year and a significant majority of that never ends up in landfill. That feat, achieved thanks to our dedicated teams around the UK, has impressed Peter Eglinton in his ﬁrst year at the helm: “We have a business that is focused on delivering diversion of waste away from landﬁll for our customers. “But the sheer scale of it and growing volume we are now turning into energy is incredible. I’m almost a year into the role and continue to be blown away by the technical skills we have in our business.” That talent was spotlighted at the recent UK Leaders meeting, where diversion levels and customer service were both high on the agenda.

Also praised was our skill at:

● managing large bids; ● negotiating lending from banking groups; ● designing complex facilities with multiple technologies; ● managing build programmes for our new facilities; ● commissioning these facilities; ● identifying the most appropriate takers for our fuels and recyclates; ● working with the Environment Agency and local communities; ● running directly and managing others operating HWRCs. Peter said: “When I visited sites in Wakeﬁeld and Cumbria, I was impressed by the level of diversion and how engaged our teams are with the public, sometimes in difﬁcult circumstances. “Our people are dedicated to the ultimate aim of making more from waste and are critical to our success. That’s why health and safety is still the number-one priority for us.” In case you missed it, on page 2 there’s more on the health and safety feedback we’ve been gathering.

Ray Nattrass

Steve Bullock

Ray Jam es

THE HIT SQUAD No job too small for our troubleshooting trio From making the most of limited storage space to clearing insects from a busy f a c i l i t y, o u r t e a m o f troubleshooters are on hand to help when you need it. The Central Engineering and Technical Group, a team of technical specialists, is in place to provide practical support to our sites across the country. The trio are part of the Engineering and Performance team, headed up by Keith Sinﬁeld. The three-strong team were put in place last year to ﬁnd solutions to logistical and technical problems at our sites – offering help and advice on a wide range of issues that their expertise covers. “My background is in project

management and engineering,” said Team Leader Ray Nattrass, who is joined on the team by Process Design Manager Steve Bullock and Technical Adviser Ray James. SOLUTION “Steve has experience from his operational background and Ray James does a lot from a technical side to help with environmental and compliance issues or concerns. “We look at any request for a job that comes in and match our skills to it to make sure we get the best person on the job.” Since coming together under reconstruction, the team have been open for requests and want to receive more projects to sink their teeth into.

A day in the life After five years of driving up recycling figures, Derek Matthews now spends a lot of his time driving down. That’s because the father-of-two, tasked with carrying out rolling checks at our 14 Cumbrian sites, now has another driving task to perform… being a grandad. It involves a four-hour round trip down the motorway twice a week from his home near Carlisle to Chorley in Lancashire, to look after his 18-month-old grandson, Nelson. Derek has been able to drop his programme of constant site audits to three days a week, but loves the fact that the job keeps him busy. He covers a huge swathe of Cumbria, checking our sites over

The work we do means we’re creating other products so that waste has its life extended

Recruiting their help doesn’t mean the trio will take over whatever you’re working on though, they will just feed into your ideas to ﬁnd the best solution. “It’s a technical function rather than a managerial one. We’re not consultants and will talk over the issues before deciding on a plan of action,” said Ray. “You just need to get in touch and we’ll come to see you, whatever the issue. It’s quick and easy to do.” To get in touch with the team, email either of the Rays, Steve or Engineering and Performance Director Keith Sinfield by dropping him an email at keith.sinﬁeld@shanks.co.uk

The team helped to design and install a storage tank to keep fats, oils and greases warm at Westcott Park

HWRC Manager Derek Matthews 2,000 sq miles, from Carlisle in the north to Barrow in the south and Kirkby Stephen in the east. “It’s fortunate that I like driving, as I’m always on the move, even more so now I have babysitting duties,” Derek said. “My ﬁrst job when I arrive on site is to check the perimeters and check things internally. I make sure all the containers are where they should be and that operators are doing the work they should be doing.”

EFFICIENT

Increasingly, Derek plays an important part in ensuring that his teams’ good relationships with the public go from strength to strength. “I’ll make sure the teams are happy in terms of welfare and that legislation is up

to date because if they are happy, then they will give customers the best service,” he said. Derek is determined to go on giving his best until he retires next June, and hopes to see the current recycling figures of around 70% at some sites improve even further. He said: “It’s a great achievement that the work we do means we’re creating other products so that waste has its life extended. The more efficient we are the less goes to landfill where its usefulness would be lost forever.” Derek is full of praise for the flexibility Shanks has shown him since the birth of his first grandson, adding: “The company has been brilliant. It means I can devote myself to the two parts of my life with equal dedication.”

May 2014 ❙ 07

Shaping a bright future

NUMBER CRUNCH

90%

Businesses with great employee engagement boast almost 20% higher productivity than those where their teams are switched off, according to a new survey.

LANDFILL DIVERSION RATE WHEN ALL WAKEFIELD’S SITES ARE UP AND RUNNING

That’s why it is so important that all our colleagues have their say – good or bad – in the Pulse survey launching in June. Happy, contented employees led to an increase of 12% in the satisfaction levels of customers, who were then more likely to recommend the business to other people by word of mouth.

230,000

TONNES – THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF DOMESTIC WASTE OUR WAKEFIELD SITES WILL PROCESS Stand well back. The first stage of the rebuild is under way

Just as important, the Engage for Success survey found that firms with high levels of engagement had a workforce that was far more creative and innovative. It also reported that staff turnover was 40% lower at companies where employees were actively encouraged to speak out. So the statistics speak for themselves – have your say and help us make the future better together. Each employee will receive a sealed envelope with the survey in. That way you have the choice of whether to fill out the hard copy or complete the survey online.

OUT WITH THE OLD

WATERTIGHT SUCCESS Trial kit set to make composting quicker and easier for teams An innovative approach to turn waste into compost is set to save our teams time and money at several of our sites.

New galvanised steel clamps are being used at Dalinlongart, on the west coast of Scotland, as part of a ﬁve-year improvement plan to make our compost operations better across Argyll and Bute. The clamps have replaced the normal steel equipment previously used at the site and will speed up the process, as well as reduce odour and collateral damage to materials. Gail Orr, Contract Operations Manager, Argyll and Bute, said: “We weren’t allowed to use galvanised

steel at first because there were concerns over zinc contamination in the compost product. “Tests have shown it’s safe to use now and the new clamps are making a big difference, and productivity has improved.”

REDUCTION

The new steel framework and covers are more watertight, so the material is drier going into the mill. This has resulted in the

amount of reject material going to landfill being reduced by almost 500 tonnes in a year, which is a 30% improvement. Installed at the end of last year, the clamps have already had a big impact, reducing costs and making jobs easier for the team at Dalinlongart. Compost Plant Foreman Ian Goffin, left, is a big fan of the new technology. “Dalinlongart is the first site to use this and so far it’s worked well,” he said. “It has cut down the length of time to open and close the clamps, which is good for us. It’s

Gail shows off the end product set to make gar dens grow across the area

great that we’re investing in the plants and hopefully it will make a big difference over the next few years.”

QUICKER

The five-year cycle to improve facilities has been active since April 2013 and will see even more machinery receive upgrades in the next few years. Once the cycle is completed, the compost sites in Argyll and Bute will work even more efﬁciently. Gail said: “There will be lots of benefits to the plans, including making operations quicker, smoother and more productive. It’s a great result for everyone who works across the regions.”

More than 150,000 families are set to benefit after our Denby Dale Road recycling centre was demolished to make way for a state-of-the-art replacement.

The end of this Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) in Wakefield will mean a big boost for green energy and waste by-products for years to come. Its replacement on the Denby Dale Road site – one of four HWRCs in the West Yorkshire district – will help to treat and recycle up to 230,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste from 156,000 homes every year along with our flagship facility being built in South Kirkby. The new part-covered site will also feature safer traffic management, a new Transfer Station, a new facility building and gatehouse, and is due to open next year. The redevelopment is part of Shanks’ 25-year PFI contract with Wakefield Council, which also includes a residual waste treatment facility at South Kirkby that will run on energy created from within the facility from 2015.

The new HWRC will mean a safer and more efficient waste facility for the people of Wakefield The work is the result of a partnership with Wakefield Council and construction experts Kier Group, and will take the local authority’s landfill diversion rate towards 90%. Peter Eglinton, Managing Director of Shanks UK, said: “The new HWRC will mean a safer and more efficient waste facility for the people of Wakefield.” John Nichols, Project Director of Kier’s infrastructure business, said: “We are proud to be working with Shanks UK and Wakefield Council to deliver clear improvements to the environment for residents in the area.” ● Keep an eye on future editions of the Shanks paper for updates on the new site.

08 ❙ May 2014

FROM WASTE How our teams turn old crisp packets into capital landmarks When Britain’s 2012 Olympic medallists took to the podium in celebration, it was also a moment of great national pride for our own fantastic teams and their partners. While we can’t take credit for our athletes’ heroic efforts, our partnership with building materials company Hanson helped to provide the cement that built the iconic Olympic Park.

By producing a high-quality Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) at our East London Waste Authority (ELWA) site on Frog Island, we give Hanson the materials to help keep cement mixers whirring at some of the country’s biggest building projects. And our impact stretches much further than Olympic Park too, as the cement produced using power from SRF has been used on the super-fast Crossrail train line across the capital and the pioneering Thames Gateway project. Here’s how our teams play their part in turning waste into glittering landmarks.

1: Input of waste

From food waste and unrecyclable plastics to textiles and old crisp packets, we use black bin rubbish to form the basis of our Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) material. When the bags are collected, they are transported to our East London Waste Authority (ELWA) site, where the waste starts its journey to become the fuel we supply to Hanson at Ketton, Rutland.

3: Bio-drying

2: Shredding All of the waste collected at ELWA is tipped into the plant reception to be shredded into 150-millimetre pieces. Bio-MRF Manager Amy Pitch oversees production at ELWA and explains this is done to make it easier to draw air through the material and so that it stacks better in the bio-drying hall (the next stage of the production process). “The big items need to be broken up before we can move on,” said Amy. “The waste needs to be broken down into smaller pieces so air can flow through it better.”

“Once it has been shredded, the waste is stacked by a big gantry crane into 4.5-metrehigh windrows in the bio-drying hall,” Amy explained. “During the 12-14 day period, large fans draw air through the piles of waste material – stimulating the biological organisms naturally working within. “This process is called bio-drying and reduces the mass of material by 30% through moisture loss. By ensuring this process works properly, we’re able to control the amount of moisture in the SRF we produce.”

May 2014 ❙ 09

E TO WONDER NUMBER CRUNCH

10 220

AVERAGE LOADS OF SRF TRANSPORTED TO KETTON EACH DAY

TOTAL TONNAGE OF SRF PRODUCT SENT TO HANSON PER DAY

30%

REDUCTION IN TONNAGE OF WASTE THROUGH MOISTURE LOSS AFTER 14 DAYS

4: Reﬁnement After 12-14 days of bio-drying, the material is ready to be refined. The refinement machinery extracts any remaining recyclables in the material, such as glass and stone, metals and organic fines. “We also create two fuels from the bio-dried material,” said Amy. “One is a larger-grade fuel called RDF, which we send to waste-to-energy facilities, and the other is SRF, which goes to Hanson as a fuel to make cement. “The SRF is light, fluffy and very dry – like confetti – so it’s ideal for burning in Ketton’s cement kiln. We take great pride in the fact that we continue to be market leaders in this type of recovered fuel.” SENT TO KETTON “Our SRF product is checked against tight specifications to make sure the moisture, particle size and chlorine content is correct to use in the cement kiln,” said Materials

Co-ordinator Carolyn Haughton, who is part of the materials team that support Hanson. “Getting this right on time is important to make sure we continue to supply a constant flow of fuel for the making of cement, which can be distributed to the projects. “The materials team sit between the production and the client to make sure all the needs are met – if there’s a problem, they come to me to get it sorted.”

5: Cement production

Once the material is passed on to Hanson at its Ketton site in Rutland, it is checked for quality and blown into the kiln to achieve the high temperatures (over 1000˚C) required to make cement. Not only is the SRF crucial for fuelling the cement-making process, but it also forms part of the final product – meaning the correct composition and balance needs to be supplied. Hanson’s Raw Material and Fuel Manager Richard Shaw said: “It is crucial that we get the quality and timing just right. If it isn’t, it will affect our efficiency of production and increase our use of fossil fuels. “Ketton was one of the first sites to use fuel of this type and our close working relationship with Shanks has helped to reduce our reliance on coal. The operation plays a significant role in us supplying a competitive product to our clients across big projects.”

10 ❙ May 2014

The reception shed is the ﬁrst point where all the three councilsʼ waste will be delivered by HGVs. All of the waste is collected here before being passed on.

The dry anaerobic digestion facility produces compost-like output (CLO) and generates half a megawatt of electricity annually through its work.

The Bio-MRF building where the waste is dried out for 14 days to become a reduced material. The waste arrives here shortly after being collected in the reception shed.

The recyclates from the waste material are removed at the reﬁnement section of the site. Once the recyclable products are removed, the RefuseDerived Fuel (RDF) is created here.

Visitor centre

Workshop

PROGRESS AT THE PLANT

New state-of-the-art site proves that two into one really does work With just over a year to go before it goes online, the future is looking green for an innovative new facility. The purpose-built waste treatment contract for the Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) council partnership will revolutionise waste disposal in the area. There is lots of work to be done before the Rotherham site goes live in July 2015, with the recruitment phase of the project kicking off soon. TAKING SHAPE Contracts Director Colin Fletcher, who is playing a key role in the facility’s development, said: “Everything’s on plan and we expect to be fully operational by summer 2015. “It’s the ﬁrst Shanks site that has mechanical biological treatment (MBT) and anaerobic

An artistʼs impression of the facility

digestion (AD) facilities at the same site, so it’s exciting. “We’re getting 40 people in to work at the plant and once we’ve hired them, it will make everything feel even more real – it’s really taking shape.” The new site is broken into four sections, with the MBT and AD facilities expected to be ready by the end of 2014, and the workshop and visitor areas a few months later.

Everythingʼs on plan and we expect to be fully operational by summer 2015 When everything is up and running, the site will reduce the amount of waste sent to landﬁll, cutting greenhouse gas emissions while increasing recycling. The site also creates SRF, which is supplied to the nearby Ferrybridge Power Station to be turned into green energy. “The new site offers lots of benefits to BDR and its residents,” said Colin. He added: “As well as providing green energy, the site has created new jobs and provides a great educational and training venue too.”

JUNE 2013

APRIL 2013

COMING ALIVE Check out our pictures as the new BDR site takes shape

NOVEMBER 2013

DECEMBER 2013

MARCH 2014

Gary’s most Excel-ent idea! “I was just another set of eyes in the right place at the right time.” That is ELWA-based Gary James’s modest view of the part he has played in saving colleagues in Cumbria a total of almost two days a week in time. The Performance and Reporting Manager was visiting one of the county’s 14 HWRCs when he realised the way our teams were collating delivery information was inefﬁcient. “Basically, they were entering data twice and having to go back and cross check only once they got more information from a third party,” he said. So using an Excel spreadsheet, Gary designed a new system that allowed single entries, giving information such as vehicle registrations, waste type and

destination, to be cross checked at the end of the week. The data can then be uploaded directly into the TIM (Time Information Management) weighbridge programme. “We simpliﬁed the process and it was a good example of how knowledgesharing can work to make systems better around the business,” he said. Administration Manager Julie Pepper (below) at Cumbria PFI said: “We were always hitting the TIM deadlines, but not without anguish and overtime. “The new system means we receive alerts if the weighbridge information entered does not match what is entered on the sheets.” She added: “It has saved us lots of time, so we owe Gary a lot.”

May 2014 ❙ 11

Minutes With... Gail Orr, Contract Operations Manager, Argyll and Bute

Iʼm a part-time taxi driver for the children, but when Iʼm not rushing around I like working in the garden or having barbecues with neighbours

Tell us a little about your job I’m in charge of our contract with Argyll and Bute Council, which runs for the next 13 years. We have 40 colleagues at landfill sites, three composting sites, vehicle operations, and HWRC and transfer stations. I’ve been with Shanks for 14 years. I started in Health and Safety, but my job is now to co-ordinate the operation of all our sites under the contract. My Health and Safety knowledge helps because I do spend a lot of time on compliance issues such as environmental improvements and planning.

What do you do outside work? I’m a rugby coach and teach mini rugby to boys and girls. I used to play a fair bit of rugby, hockey, squash and tennis, but I got into the rugby coaching when my two boys aged 8 and 10 started playing for Whitecraigs Rugby Club near where we live in Glasgow. I’m also a part-time taxi driver for the children, but when I’m not rushing around I like working in the garden or having barbecues with our neighbours.

What three words best describe you? Conscientious, upbeat and honest.

What are your main aims at Shanks? One thing we’re looking at is the long-term future of our contract and what innovative methods we can use to improve recycling and

diversion from landﬁll. Ideas include energy from waste, creating a new useful product from our compost-like output, which could be used as a fuel, or installing combined heat and power engines at landﬁll sites to use the gas for generating power. All of these concepts are at an early stage, but we look forward to bringing our creative solutions to Argyll and Bute Council as a sustainable long-term solution to the waste management needs of the region.

How successful is diversion on this contract? We are always looking to improve our diversion rate. It currently stands at 44% overall against a target of 45%, so there is real room for improvement.

What is your favourite phrase? Let’s do it properly.

When were you happiest? I think it would have to be when my husband and I were on a touring holiday in Australia and New Zealand. We met lots of friends from the rugby club along the way... it was unforgettable.

Which three people alive or dead would you invite to a dinner party and why? I would invite Stephen Fry for humour and intelligent conversation, Jessica Ennis-Hill (above) for inspiration to do more exercise, and Charles Darwin for his interest in all things scientiﬁc.

THE PIPES ARE CALLING Stamina and lung power are the secret to Colinʼs strains of success Keeping fit and a little bit of patriotism are the reasons behind Colin Walker ’s unusual hobby.

Because when he has ﬁnished for the day as Operations Manager at our three sites at Carlisle, Dumfries and Galloway and Barrow, Colin loves nothing more than to unwind to the strains of the bagpipes. It’s a hobby that he started more than 30 years ago, when his school biology teacher suggested he gave the traditional Scottish instrument a go. “I always used to do really well at tests to see who had the largest lung capacity, so he said I’d be a natural piper,” said father-of-two Colin. “The ﬁrst time I tried them I got them going straightaway, which a lot of people can’t. It’s all about stamina and co-ordination really.” The lifelong Glasgow Rangers fan is

Thereʼs a lot more to playing the pipes than meets the eye, with a lot of skill involved now one of the mainstays of the Royal Burgh of Annan Pipe Band and competes against other bands across Scotland at a high level. He said: “There’s a lot more to playing the pipes than meets the eye, with a lot of skill involved. We compete at grade three, which is a good standard, and we have won quite a few prizes this season.” TRADITION Colin, who oversees the smooth running of our Mechanical Biological Treatment facilities, has so far not managed to convince his own

children to follow in his footsteps. “My 10-year-old daughter (above with dad) is into her Highland dancing, so you could say she’s keeping the tradition alive,” he said. “My 13-year-old son likes playing his guitar and drums, so perhaps I will be the last in a short line of pipers.” CURLING But Colin, originally from Lockerbie, does have another claim to tartan fame – he is good friends with some of the men’s curling team, who represented Great Britain at the Winter Olympics 2014. He said: “I like to think that they and I are making sure that Lockerbie becomes known for its sport, music and other activities as much as for the disaster that happened there many years ago.”

REAK TAKE AANBAPPLE TV BOX

12 ❙ May 2014

IN OUR NAME GAME ! N I W

It’s your paper, so we wanted to let you come up with a name By now you’ll have had a good flick through your newspaper, and we hope you like what you’ve seen.

TO ENTER The best newspapers often have one- or two-word titles, so try to keep your entries short and snappy, but feel free to enter as many suggestions as you like. The winning entry will be the one that trips off the tongue and best reflects the business priorities, and will be chosen by the UK Leadership team. All entries must be in by 12 June 2014. When you email or text us with your suggestions, make sure you give your name, site and contact details.

As you’ll have spotted, we want to bring you all the latest news from around the business, as well as turning the spotlight on some of our unsung heroes. They might be stars at their job or do something special outside work, but they all have one thing in common: they’re all working hard to make Shanks the best we can possibly be. The business is going through a change in direction to become a leader in waste diversion and energy creation, so we need a title for the paper that reﬂects that. So get your thinking caps on and email or text us your suggestions to be in with a chance of winning an Apple TV box.

JUST FOR FUN

SOLUTION

Take a break and pit your wits against our fun 1 3 4 7 6 8 2 9 5 sudoku puzzle. 8 2 7 4 9 5 6 1 3 every row, every column 9 Fill 6 5in1the 2 grid 3 7 so 8 that 4 and the numbers 1-9 once. 2 8 every 6 5 3x3 3 9 box 1 4contains 7 4 7 3you’ve 8 1 6had 5 a 2 go, 9 check your answer against When 5 1solution 9 2 7 (right). 4 8 3 6 the

SUDOKU

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 Released: 18 April

Peter Parker comes swinging into our cinemas again this spring, as actor Andrew Garﬁeld dons the red mask for his second outing as the webslinging superhero Spider-Man. After learning he is being monitored by the mysterious company Oscorp, Peter’s spidey senses begin tingling and he starts to discover a secret locked deep in his family’s past. For Oscorp to carry out its dastardly plan, it needs to get rid of Spider-Man – leading to a huge battle involving superheroes galore.

NOAH

Released: 4 April Think you know the full story of Noah’s Ark? Well, you haven’t seen anything yet. Based on the biblical tale of the man who saved his family – and two of each of the world’s animals – from an apocalyptic deluge, Noah will have you looking out of the window anxiously whenever there’s a storm. Packed with stars, including Russell Crowe, Emma Watson and Ray Winstone, Noah is sure to be a hit of biblical proportions.

HAVE YOUR SAY 5

8 3

6 5 7

3 8

AT THE CINEMA

GOOD READ

OUT THIS MONTH

AT THE CINEMA

TEXT: 07860 021367 EMAIL: shanks@summersault.co.uk

THE TARGET by DAVID BALDACCI Released: 22 April

Dying in an Alabama prison hospital, an old man has one ﬁnal evil game to play before he dies, soon getting the attention of US government ofﬁcials Will Robie and Jessica Reel. As the duo investigate the entangled tale, they are forced into a high-stakes mission that puts their lives at risk, as they travel to one of the world’s most dangerous countries. Coming up against a special agent who has survived extreme conditions in the past, Robie and Reel must push themselves to the limit to complete their hardest mission.

GOT A STORY? Text or email us:

07860 021367

shanks@summersault.co.uk

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.

5 7

2 4 8

7 5