RECYCLING LIVES PUBLISHES FIRST ESG REPORT

Recycling and waste management company, Recycling Lives, has published its first ESG report - underpinning its commitment to Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and the circular economy.

The report includes the firm’s sustainability results from the year, demonstrating how Recycling Lives is responding to the challenges faced by climate change, and its progress in environmental innovation and social impact. The report references the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) core standards and against scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions for the reduction of greenhouse gasses in 2023 and beyond.

Key highlights from 1 March 2021 to 28 February 2022 include:

• Diverted 91% of waste received from landfill Delivered £28.9m of social value

• Helped 75 ex-offenders secure jobs

• 95% success rate for offenders - where the national average reoffending rate stands at around 60%, Recycling Lives’ report under 5%

• Responsibly recycled 150,000+ cars

• Generated 500,000+ tonnes of high quality shredded steel

Gerry Marshall, CEO of Recycling Lives said: “This first ESG Report aims to communicate with full transparency our sustainability progress to date, our social value achievements and importantly, our ambitions of where we want to be in the future. It highlights how sustainability – both people and planet - sits at the heart of everything we do, effectively holding ourselves to account to ensure our brand promise of ‘Good Business’ is maintained – a successful, profitable business which isn’t at the expense of the environment or society.

“I’m proud of the progress we’ve made so far in terms of our sustainability pillars as well as commercially – it’s all part of our ongoing drive to keep improving everything we do. This first report highlights the strong foundation for the company’s continued evolution and provides a platform to build from year on year.”

Recycling Lives had social value as its primary focus since its restructure in 2008.

With the introduction of its embedded brand strategy comprised of three core pillars (Social Value, Environmental Innovation and Commercial Aspirations), the company has evolved and grown to show that it is possible

“This first ESG Report aims to communicate with full transparency our sustainability progress to date, our social value achievements and importantly, our ambitions of where we want to be in the future.” to have a commercially successful business which benefits both people and the planetunderpinned by transparent governance.

THE ‘E’

As the UK’s largest car de-polluter and a company on a mission to continuously improve efficiencies across all processes, Recycling Lives is committed to driving its sustainability journey forward by investing in R&D for ground-breaking and award-winning solutions. The company does this running 100% of its operations on renewable energy.

One example of such commitment is the development and scale-up of its Energy from Waste Solution, which creates green energy and sets the company on track for ZERO

Automotive shredder residue (ASR) landfill within four years. The first commercial-scale plant looks set to be in action by the end of 2023, providing power for its facilities, and expanding across other main plants during 2024 and 2025, with a goal to provide excess power back to the grid. It is the same Energy from Waste solution that will see decommissioned EV batteries provide power banks, leveraging residual power to store power for business operations.

Other key initiatives include a unique collaboration with Renault Trucks to pioneer the UK’s first 100% electric skip transporters in a step to decarbonise its fleet. The two 19 tonne E-Tech DZE trucks have the capacity to complete a full day’s work on a single charge with zero tailpipe emissions and low traffic noise - and were awarded the Quiet Logistics Award at the 2022 Noise Abatement Society for this very reason. These features mean the trucks are well suited to cities with Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ), and their low sound output makes them ideal for use in urban areas where noise pollution is a problem.

The firm is also set to open a new battery treatment and sorting centre, having re- ceived ABTO (Approved Battery Treatment Operator) status from the UK government in December. The state-of-the-art site will set the new industry standard for collection, storage, and sorting of all battery typeswith full traceability of each cell’s life journey from source. Just another example of the environmental initiatives Recycling Lives is working on.

THE ‘S’

With social value at its heart, the Recycling Lives business model focuses on creating long-term positive social impact that changes lives. The company’s rehabilitation programs provide meaningful employment, structured support, and skills development for those in the justice system, ex-offenders, and disadvantaged groups. The approach helps to guide those transitioning back to society from custodial settings, developing independence for a self-sufficient path forward.

While helping people rebuild their lives, the business is also helping to lower re-offending rates and contribute to the stability and economy of local communities. Recycling Lives’ work with the Justice system is UK-wide, with the company’s average re-offending rate sitting under 5% - the UK national average re-offending rate is circa 60%.

THE ‘G’

While environmental and social considerations are of huge importance, Recycling Lives is committed to continually monitoring and measuring progress, with governance serving as a platform for the firm’s decision making and continuous improvement. Last December, Recycling Lives achieved B Corp certification – an acknowledgement of the company’s dedication to each aspect of E, S and G.

Recycling Lives’ significant growth can only serve as a testament to the company’s bid to drive a commercially successful business, with a greater purpose of delivering social and environmental value. By embedding a holistic approach and actively contributing towards a better future for the planet, in its own words, doing good can indeed deliver ‘Good Business.’

Recycling Lives full ESG report here can be accessed here: