Greenstar Wicklow Waste Facility Best in Ireland or UK
A waste facility operated by Greenstar has been named Best Operated Waste Facility in Ireland or the UK by the UK Chartered Institution of Wastes Management. Located in Co. Wicklow, the Ballynagran landfill is the first Irish waste facility in the twenty year history of the awards to win the prestigious PEEL's People Cup, which was open to waste facilities of all types throughout the two countries.
Awarded for "excellence in operational teamwork on site", the Peel's Cup comprehensively reviews the operation of the site including management structure, operational features, staff welfare and health and safety. It also reviews the relationship between the facility and the local community and the environmental impact and aesthetics of the site.
Greenstar has invested €275 million in waste infrastructure over the past seven years and is also the recipient of the 2006 Repak award for Best Large Recycling Operator. The company operates twelve Materials Recycling Facilities and four engineered landfills in addition to providing waste and recycling services to over 13,000 commercial and 60,000 household customers nationwide. Greenstar's Co. Kildare landfill has Gas to Energy technology that allows it to capture enough green energy to meet the requirements of several thousand households for one year and the company proposes to extend this technology to its other sites in the short term.
Welcoming the award, Jerry Dempsey, Director of Greenstar, said: "Ireland has made great strides in increasing its recycling levels but there is always an element of waste that cannot be reused, recycled or recovered and must be disposed of appropriately. It is essential that Ireland has the infrastructure to appropriately dispose of this non-recyclable waste and meets international standards.
Greenstar is delighted to be Ireland's first recipient of the PEEL's People Cup and intends to further enhance the standards of all its residual landfill facilities through the introduction of gas to energy technology, which will provide sustainable energy and avoid the need to use non-renewable resources.
Additionally, Greenstar has invested substantially in waste management infrastructure so that all of our recycling facilities use best available technologies to ensure maximum recycling and recovery rates of the waste that we handle. In 2007, Greenstar handled over 1.7 million tonnes of waste and recycled or recovered 70% of waste through our network of recycling facilities."
Congratulating Greenstar, Erik O'Donovan of the Irish Waste Management Association said: "This achievement reflects the commitment of Ireland's private waste management sector to continuously improving the standard of waste management activities both at home and abroad."
The runners-up to Greenstar were Integra North Waste to Energy Facility in Hampshire operated by Veolia and Coventry and Solihull Waste to Energy Facility in Coventry operated by Coventry and Solihull Waste Disposal Company.
For further information on the CIWM please visit: www.ciwm.co.uk
For further information contact:
Carol-Anne Hernon, Marketing Executive.
Tel: +353-1-2947962
