News in brief | CIWM Commercial Partner Updates 26 March

 

News updates written by CIWM’s commercial partners.

EPIC Media
As Simpler Recycling Goes Live, Clear Street-Level Communication Is Now Critical
Beyondly
Compliance and the importance of following regulation change
Wood Recyclers’ Association
Michael Symons appointed as Service Member Lead on the WRA Board
Advetec
Go4Greener switches on XO22 and becomes first to turn nappies into fuel with biotechnology
Nuclear Waste Services
The sustainable management of radioactive waste
Alfred H Knight
How Local Authorities Can Save Costs Through Waste Profiling Ahead of New Regulations
Washed Aggregates Trade Association
Trade Body urgently calls on Government to step in with aid measures to help recycling sector with fuel
Vision Techniques
Vision Techniques launch new product in response to the increasing number of bin lift incidents
Greyparrot
Global waste leaders share AI’s role in protecting MRF profitability and compliance in 2026
Dennis Eagle
Dennis Eagle Blackpool wins Digital Award at the Red Rose Awards 2026
Plan B Plan B Awards for Excellence Shortlisting

EPIC Media | As Simpler Recycling Goes Live, Clear Street-Level Communication Is Now Critical

With Simpler Recycling reforms now coming into effect across England, vehicle graphics specialist EPIC Media is urging local authorities and waste operators to prioritise visible, consistent public messaging as food waste collections expand.

The reforms, led by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, introduce greater consistency in recycling collections, including mandatory weekly food waste services for most households.

While operational preparations have been underway for some time, recent national reporting from BBC News highlighted that almost one in four councils were not on track to introduce weekly food waste collections by the original deadline, with more than 70 authorities expected to roll out services later in 2026.

For EPIC Media, the conversation must now move beyond policy to public behaviour. Service change on this scale is not just operational, it is behavioural. Residents need clarity.

When collection rules vary or messaging is unclear, contamination increases and participation drops. As services evolve, communication has to evolve with them.

Nicola (Nic) Welfare, General Manager at EPIC Media says, “Waste collection vehicles are among the most visible assets local authorities operate, travelling through every neighbourhood on a weekly basis.”

“EPIC Media has already worked with councils and operators across the UK to support first time food waste rollouts, recycling rebrands and service changes through high impact vehicle wraps and adaptable messaging systems.”

Rather than viewing fleet graphics purely as branding, EPIC positions them as an ongoing communications platform. Rapid wrap solutions and changeable graphic systems allow authorities to update messaging in line with phased rollouts, policy adjustments and resident education campaigns.

“With Simpler Recycling, the pressure on councils is very real,” Nic continues. “Clear street level communication can reinforce new food waste services, explain what goes where and build public confidence during a period of change.”

As authorities review fleet procurement, depot capacity and container distribution, EPIC Media is encouraging waste teams and communications departments to align operational planning with visible, consistent messaging.

Beyondly | Compliance and the importance of following regulation change

Global e-commerce is on the rise. In 2025, 5.8bn (that’s billion!) items entered the EU.

Testing of goods coming into the EU (5,772 cosmetics, 2,092 PPE, 3,474 food supplements) found that the majority did not comply with EU rules and product standards. A similar finding from the EU’s Safety Gate rapid alert system for dangerous non-food goods found that cosmetics and toys accounted for over half of reported unsafe products.

The interesting thing is that the countries listed as making up the majority of non-compliant products are the US, China, and the UK. It is therefore more important than ever to know that the goods you are supplying into our largest export partner are compliant.

Despite some post-Brexit divergence, it is worth noting that we are seeing increased alignment with the EU on topics such as Packaging, Batteries, Sanitary & Phytosanitary (SPS) rules, and Carbon Trading; therefore, getting ahead of potential future regulatory changes keeps you on the front foot.

EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations (PPWR)

Due to take effect in the EU from August 2026, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations (PPWR) outlines EU wide rules on recyclability, reuse, labelling and mandates extended producer responsibility. It will be implemented with a few minor omissions by the Windsor framework in Northern Ireland, and the UK is widely expected to align with the mandatory labelling requirements which are implemented under PPWR from 2028. 

Batteries

Due to application in Northern Ireland, the UK Government is currently hosting a series of workshops with industry on adopting the EU Batteries Regulations across the whole of the UK.

Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS)

To reduce costs for importing and exporting with the EU, it was confirmed, on 9 March 2026, that the UK will align with EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) legislation.

This is a slight divergence since Brexit has led to increased checks for food and feed, etc., between the UK and the EU. It has also led to friction between Britain and Northern Ireland.

To reduce costs, speed up supply chains, reduce spoilage, and improve market access for British agri-food exporters, the UK Government has now formally confirmed alignment with a range on EU SPS and agri-food legislation, with the end goal of establishing a new UK-EU SPS Agreement by mid-2027.

EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

On 1 January 2026, the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) came into force, charging a CO2 emissions fees on certain imported goods such as cement, iron, aluminium, and fertilisers.

While the UK was hoping for temporary exemption from this levy while negotiations were underway for alignment, the EU announced before Christmas that Britain, nor any other country, would be exempt. The UK Government has said that this could cost industry around £800m per year.

With the UK’s own CBAM in final stages of consultation and due to come into force from 1 January 2027, although yet to be confirmed, we can hope that alignment and linkage of carbon markets will lead to mutual CBAM exemption on both sides of the Channel, removing a trade barrier for our largest, and closest, trading partner.

Wood Recyclers’ Association | Michael Symons appointed as Service Member Lead on the WRA Board

The Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA) has announced the appointment of Michael Symons as the new Service Member Lead on its Board.

Michael is Head of Sales at CRJ Services and his appointment was finalised at the WRA’s Annual General Meeting which took place in Greater Manchester yesterday (March 11).

Michael Symons.

Michael has more than 10 years of experience in the waste and recycling sector and has worked with CRJ Services since 2016. Having grown up in the recycling industry, he has a strong practical understanding of both machinery and the operational demands of the sector.

At CRJ Services, Michael leads the company’s national sales strategy. He has been instrumental in strengthening CRJ’s supplier and customer networks across the wood recycling, biomass and wider waste industry in both the UK and Ireland.

Through this work, Michael has built extensive industry relationships and developed a deep understanding of the operational, commercial and regulatory factors involved in processing waste wood and other recyclable materials. 

Michael joins the WRA’s eight other Board Members, including seven elected members and the Executive Director, Julia Turner. Michael replaces Spencer Caldwell, who stepped down after two years in December after moving into a different sector.

Michael said: “I’m delighted to join the WRA Board as Service Member Lead. The wood recycling industry is evolving rapidly, and I’m looking forward to using my experience to support members, champion best practice and contribute to the sector’s continued growth.”

Mark Hayton, Chair of the WRA, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Michael to the Board as our new Service Member Lead.

“Michael brings extensive technical and commercial experience from across the waste and recycling sector, along with a deep understanding of the machinery and operational challenges our members face every day. His insight and strong industry relationships will be a valuable asset to the WRA as we continue to support a safe, innovative and forward‑looking wood recycling sector.”

He added: “A big thank you to Spencer for all the time and energy he devoted to the WRA over the past two years.”

Advetec | Go4Greener switches on XO22 and becomes first to turn nappies into fuel with biotechnology

Derby-based Go4Greener is breaking new ground in sustainable waste management – becoming the first UK waste handler to transform offensive washroom waste – including nappies and sanitary products – into high-quality fuel with biotechnology.

This UK first uses Advetec’s XO22 biotechnology machine to turn offensive washroom waste once destined for landfill into valuable fuel at speed and scale.

Go4Greener took delivery of the Advetec XO22 in September, and after several weeks of testing has now processed its first load of waste.

The XO22 will convert the 4,000 tonnes of washroom waste Go4Greener handles each year into nearly 2,000 tonnes of high-quality alternative fuel, replacing fossil fuels in energy-intensive industries.

Go4Greener’s £1.25m investment in the XO22 is part of a wider commitment to recycle and dispose of waste in the most sustainable ways possible.  The technology will help Go4Greener reduce its carbon footprint, stabilise costs, and move closer to sending zero waste to landfill – in turn benefiting hundreds of commercial customers across the hospitality, retail, commercial, and education sectors.

Samantha Turton, managing director of Go4Greener, said: “Switching on the XO22 is a huge milestone – not just for Go4Greener, but for the entire waste industry. We’re proud to be leading the way in turning one of the hardest waste streams into fuel and reducing waste to landfill in the process. This is groundbreaking technology that brings real environmental benefits for our customers and the industry.”

Lee Knott, Advetec’s chief executive officer, said: “Faced with rising costs, labour shortages, taxes and a lack of infrastructure, the sector is crying out for a practical, scalable solution for washroom waste. Go4Greener’s adoption of the XO22 proves that biotechnology is not just the future – it’s here now. This is a turning point for waste management in the UK, helping waste handlers safeguard their costs and customers.”

Advetec’s XO22 uses naturally occurring biological processes, accelerated with biostimulants, to effectively clean non-recyclable and hard-to-handle waste streams. Through an aerobic rapid digestion process, bacteria break down contaminants, leaving only non-organic matter, which can be further treated and converted into alternative fuel.

This biological innovation replaces the need for chemical or thermal treatment, offering a gentler, more natural yet highly effective solution to one of the industry’s toughest waste challenges.

The process is completed in just 48-72 hours, compared to the traditional 16-week timeframe for aerobic composting. The process also significantly reduces waste mass and volume, thereby cutting costs and lowering associated environmental impact.

Nuclear Waste Services | The sustainable management of radioactive waste

A drum ready to be disposed of at the Low Level Waste Repository.

Bringing together the UK’s expertise in radioactive waste management – reducing and recycling waste to save costs while protecting people and the environment

The UK has benefited from nuclear technologies for decades. Powering homes, supporting industry and enabling life‑saving medical and research applications. With those benefits comes a responsibility that Parliament rightly scrutinises: radioactive waste must be managed safely and securely, and in a way that represents value for the public purse over the long term.

That is the core purpose of Nuclear Waste Services (NWS). Created to bring together the UK’s leading radioactive waste management capabilities into a single organisation, NWS supports the safe treatment, transport and disposal of radioactive waste and helps ensure the UK has a credible, permanent “end point” for the most hazardous materials.

NWS – providing solutions

NWS specialises in the management, treatment and disposal of radioactive waste produced by nuclear technologies in the UK. We are part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group, the public body responsible for cleaning up the UK’s historical nuclear sites.

Our goal is simple: to ensure all categories of the UK’s radioactive waste are managed safely, securely and sustainably.

We provide practical waste solutions – assessing, packaging, transporting and managing radioactive waste using innovative approaches that prioritise sustainable outcomes.

Our solutions include disposal through operating the existing Low Level Waste Repository in Cumbria to planning for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) for the most hazardous radioactive waste.

Since the mid-1980s we have worked with organisations across the UK that produce radioactive waste to help ensure that the waste being produced now is suitable for geological disposal.

A drum ready to be disposed of at the Low Level Waste Repository

From design to disposal

With new nuclear recognised by Government as essential to the UK’s low-carbon energy mix and energy security, the ability to manage radioactive waste safely – today and for future generations – has never been more important.

It is vital that new build reactor design consider decommissioning from the very outset. An assessment process has been put in place to scrutinise new nuclear power plant designs and assess their acceptability for use in Great Britain.

NWS – with a remit extending well beyond managing legacy waste – is playing a pivotal role ensuring that during plant design, construction and beyond, developers have clear and credible plans for the safe and permanent disposal of the waste their facilities will produce. In addition to receiving the most hazardous legacy waste, the GDF will accept waste arising from new plants, so at NWS we must ensure it is compatible with final disposal in the facility.

Supercompacted waste destined for disposal

Diverting waste from disposal

Our role spans the full waste lifecycle. We assess waste, advise on the most sustainable management route, and apply innovative treatments to reduce its volume or radioactivity wherever possible. Our partnership with the Chartered Institute of Waste Management increases trust and credibility of the solutions we provide.

Around 15 years ago, the default approach for low level waste was disposal at the Repository on the West Cumbrian coast. Waste was placed in expensive steel containers and permanently disposed of.

If that approach had continued, the UK would have needed a new low level waste repository at significant cost.

Instead, the NDA introduced a new strategy based on the waste hierarchy: avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle and only dispose as a last resort, delivered by a new centralised waste services capability. This work has been making significant savings to the taxpayer, made great efficiencies in our waste disposal management, avoided the unnecessary use of higher‑cost disposal facilities and helped speed up decommissioning.

A step change in how waste is managed across the nuclear sector now exists. Over the past decade, we have increasingly adopted alternative treatment routes such as incineration, permitted landfill for lower-activity waste, super-compaction, and metal decontamination for recycling.

These approaches deliver both environmental and economic benefits. Diversion is typically more cost-effective than disposal, and techniques such as surface treatment allow contaminated metals to be cleaned and safely reused. In practice, that means expanding the range of treatment routes used across the UK, so that suitable waste can be diverted away from disposal. By re-using or recycling where possible, we now divert 98% of waste away from disposal at the Repository site. In the past year alone, this approach has saved nearly £60 million and more than £900 million in the past decade; money that can be redirected to hazard reduction and decommissioning priorities. Waste management is a lever that can accelerate clean-up and reduce long-term liabilities. When we avoid unnecessary disposal, we protect constrained national capacity, improve efficiency across the system and help ensure public money is spent once and spent well.

Going further

Building on our success in diverting lower activity waste from disposal, we are now exploring whether similar principles can be applied to some wastes currently in storage and destined for deep geological disposal in a GDF.

Through research and trials, we are examining whether innovative treatment methods could reduce the volume of certain lower activity wastes that would otherwise require disposal underground. These trials will inform decisions on the most sustainable techniques to apply in the future.

This work does not remove the need for a GDF. A GDF remains the safe, secure and long-term solution for the UK’s most hazardous radioactive waste. However, by reducing volumes where it is safe and appropriate to do so, we can maximise value and support delivery of the NDA mission.

Our work accelerates decommissioning while ensuring waste is managed in the most sustainable and cost-effective way possible.

Through collaboration with customers and the supply chain, and with a clear focus on innovation and delivery, we are making nuclear waste permanently safe, sooner.

Alfred H Knight | How Local Authorities Can Save Costs Through Waste Profiling Ahead of New Regulations

Local authorities are being asked to do more than ever – deliver higher recycling rates, navigate an evolving policy landscape and do so under increasing financial pressure. The question is no longer whether change is coming, but how we can confidently and effectively respond to it. 

That’s why Alfred H Knight, in collaboration with CIWM, is hosting a focused one-day in-person workshop designed specifically for local authorities facing these challenges. 

The big question is: do you truly know what’s in your waste? 

With the introduction of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), Simpler Recycling, EPR, and the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) Code of Practice, understanding your waste streams is no longer optional; it’s essential.

Our session brings Waste Composition Analysis (WCA) to life. 

Rather than theory alone, you’ll experience a live demonstration, revealing exactly what is present in a typical residual waste stream. Then, using real data generated from past work with a council, we’ll walk you through how a waste profile is built, turning raw materials into meaningful, supportive data. 

During the workshop, we will explore: 

  • How waste composition data can transform operations – improving recycling performance while reducing avoidable costs. 
  • The regulatory landscape facing local authorities, including Simpler Recycling, the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), EPR, DRS and the MRF Code of Practice.
  • The financial implications of new policy requirements and how councils can prepare and budget strategically.
  • A live demonstration of a waste composition analysis, showing what goes into your waste, how it’s sorted and how the data is captured, and then translated into practical insights.
  • A real-time case study showing how waste profiling and reporting can support operational planning, compliance and cost savings.

If you’re experiencing these challenges within your organisation, this is a workshop you don’t want to miss. Book your space now via the link here, and we’ll see you there! 

  • Date: Tuesday 21 April 2026 
  • Time: 09:00 – 17:00 
  • Venue: Thrybergh Hall, Doncaster Road, Thrybergh, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S65 4NU

Washed Aggregates Trade Association | Trade Body urgently calls on Government to step in with aid measures to help recycling sector with fuel

WATA, the Washed Aggregates Trade Association, is calling on the Government to protect the waste and recycling sector from escalating fuel costs and a potential fuel shortage as a matter of urgency.

The trade body, which represents washing plants that clean and recycle high grade aggregates for the construction and remediation industries, says the war in Iran is already putting business in its sector and the wider waste and recycling arena under threat.

It’s calling on the Government to look urgently at:

  • Cutting taxes on fuel duty
  • Suspending the forthcoming fuel duty rise for business in the waste and recycling industry
  • Allowing the temporary use of red diesel for businesses in the sector operating machinery, including washed aggregate plants
  • In the event of any supply issues, making sure the waste and recycling sector is prioritised for fuel as it was during the Covid Pandemic.
Andy Hill, CEO of WATA.

Andy Hill, CEO of WATA, said: “We need to look ahead and be prepared. We are already seeing a huge increase in fuel costs and I’m being told waste and recycling sites in some areas are having to put security on their sites to protect their fuel supply.”

“This isn’t about scaremongering or causing undue alarm. It’s about recognising the key role that the waste and recycling sector plays in the day-to-day functioning of the UK.”

“Without this sector running smoothly we risk stockpiles of waste building up, energy supply being affected and in the case of our own members, the supply of aggregates to key markets such as construction being placed at risk.”

Andy, who works in the energy from waste (EfW) sector as well as washed aggregates, said EfW plants account for between 3% and 3.2% of the UK’s energy production, enough to power three million homes.

The recycled aggregates sector washes and recycles an estimated  20.5 million tonnes of construction, demolition and excavation waste (CDEW) annually, producing:

  • Circa 8-9 million tonnes each of cleaned and sized sand, and 2-4 million tonnes fine mineral material
  • >95% of washed waste soils does not go to landfill
  • >80% by weight of waste soils is washed and reused

WATA members generate carbon savings of more than 23,000 tonnes a year, a figure which is growing.

Andy added: “In these two parts of the waste and recycling sector alone you can see the importance it plays in the UK’s ability to function and to its carbon savings. This is something the Government must address urgently before it becomes a major issue.”

Vision Techniques | Vision Techniques launch new product in response to the increasing number of bin lift incidents

Commercial vehicle safety and security specialists, Vision Techniques, are launching a new product designed in direct response to the increasing number of bin lift incidents.

The LoadSafe system prevents loaders from being injured when operating rear bin lifters by actively monitoring the working area using AI-based pedestrian detection.

An intelligent camera continuously detects the presence of people within configurable safety zones around the bin lifter. The detection zones can be precisely refined to ensure accurate monitoring, minimising false lift inhibitions and avoiding unnecessary disruption to workflow.

When a person is detected and the lift is inhibited, a flashing amber light indicates that the system is active.

The system ensures that bin lifters cannot operate while a pedestrian is present in the detection zone, significantly reducing the risk of injury, while optimising worker efficiency.

As well as the safety benefits included, the system also comes with data logging for lifter activity and detection events via Vision Techniques telematics platform, VT Connect.

Mikaeel Koornhof, Technical Specialist at Vision Techniques, shares what inspired the innovation.

He said: “LoadSafe has been developed in direct response to the increasing number of bin lift incidents seen across the industry in recent years, including those in Coventry, Scottish Borders and the Isle of Wight.

“By using advanced AI pedestrian detection, the system delivers a far more refined and accurate safety zone, significantly reducing false lift inhibitions while maintaining maximum protection for operators.

“This ensures safety improvements do not come at the cost of efficiency, supporting both worker wellbeing and operational productivity.”

Vision Techniques are the innovative driving force in vehicle safety and security systems, protecting not only vehicles but also the lives of employees, the public and the environments they operate in.

Chosen by some of the largest fleets in the UK, Vision Techniques’ products are influencing and changing safety and security standards across industries daily.

Greyparrot | Global waste leaders share AI’s role in protecting MRF profitability and compliance in 2026

Greyparrot

A global panel of waste sector leaders joined Greyparrot’s recent webinar to explain how AI waste analytics is helping them protect profits, adapt to regulatory change, and attract a new generation of talent.

The webinar gathered facility operators and technical leaders from USA Waste & Recycling, GreenTech and KSI Recycling, with each sharing their AI strategies for 2026.

Despite differences in local regulation and material streams, the panellists shared similar priorities for 2026: adapting to changing infeed material, maximising sorting efficiency, and meeting evolving compliance requirements.

Data-driven consistency is critical to profitability

When asked about the challenges facing MRFs in 2026, speakers agreed that inconsistent infeed material continues to put pressure on margins. Whether in the USA, EU or UK, efficient sorting remains a facility’s most valuable profit lever.

“From a financial perspective, even a 1 to 2 percent decrease in capture rate or purity can make a meaningful margin impact”, said Brian Popovich, Senior Financial Analyst at USA Waste & Recycling. “We can measure it much better now, but preventing [purity dips] upstream is still one of the biggest challenges we face every day.”

Facilities are turning to AI in response, using data-driven material blending to balance fluctuating infeed composition. That data-led approach is helping operators reach their purity targets while monitoring supplier material quality and getting more from existing infrastructure and staff.

“It’s like having a thousand eyes on your material”, said GreenTech CTO Alan Smith. “There’s no other technology that gives us this level of accuracy – we shape our recipes using the information we get live.”

AI is supporting compliance as regulation evolves

Waste policy varies by region, but speakers from the EU and UK in particular agreed that AI has a growing role to play in helping facilities meet reporting and quality requirements.

Greyparrot has previously shared that they are working to help facilities automate UK Regulations reporting, and European operators are following suit.

“Every month, we report on material quality to our local government”, shared

Foppe-Jan de Meer, Plant Manager at KSI Recycling. “By the end of this year, I expect to have automated reporting up and running.”

At GreenTech, automated reporting is already a reality. Smith and his team use Greyparrot Analyzer data to prove that food-grade material meets European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) standards, arguing that AI provides a more detailed and accurate measure of product purity.

Regulators soon agreed: “We did have to show the technology to regulators and explain what it does, but once that was understood, they accepted the systems’ data”.

Technology is attracting new talent

Although the speakers have made AI waste analysis a pillar of their 2026 strategy, they stressed that technology is most effective when paired with skilled staff that can act on AI insights. Each acknowledged initial skepticism amongst their teams, and found that a period of hands-on validation actually fostered trust in AI recognition, and an enthusiasm for adoption.

Enthusiasm isn’t limited to internal teams. Some have found that AI is helping to address the waste sector’s longstanding labour shortages by attracting a new generation of leaders.

“What we’ve seen across the board is people interested in working for companies investing in this modern technology”, said Popovich. We’ve been able to use Greyparrot and other advancements as a recruitment tool.”

Adaptability will define success in 2026

The panel concluded that adaptability will be the mark of a successful facility in 2026, and in the years to come. For each speaker, the ability to prepare for – and react to – changing material streams, market conditions and regulatory demands is fundamental to MRF profitability.

None of the leaders are waiting for the recycling landscape to become more complex:

“Over the next five years, the sites that stay ahead will be the ones built to adjust quickly”, said Popovich. “That means investing in new technology now, training people to use and understand data, and designing operations that can absorb change, rather than be disrupted by it.”

Dennis Eagle | Dennis Eagle Blackpool wins Digital Award at the Red Rose Awards 2026

Dennis Eagle’s Blackpool facility has been named winner of the Digital Award at the Red Rose Awards 2026, recognising its industry leading approach to digital innovation and transformation within UK manufacturing.

Presented at a black-tie ceremony held at the Winter Gardens Blackpool, the award celebrates Dennis Eagle Blackpool’s transformation of its production and warehouse operations through a bespoke, digital system – designed and developed in-house – to improve efficiency, safety, and sustainability at its Lancashire facility.

Dennis Eagle is a world leader in the design and manufacture of refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) with its Blackpool site manufacturing RCV cabs for local authorities and private waste contractors across the UK and overseas, producing more than 1,400 hand-built units annually. Facing increasing production volumes and operational complexity, the business identified the need to move away from disconnected, paper based processes towards a fully integrated digital approach to connect people, systems, and performance.

Its digital transformation centred on a major redesign of its Finishing Department to improve workflow, stock organisation, and efficiency, while futureproofing the facilities for increased production. It introduced a digital inventory management system, fully synchronising physical and digital environments for faster, more accurate material picking that has improved production efficiency.

Alongside the introduction of digital dashboards, telematics, and automated reporting, wearable monitoring technology has enhanced the wellbeing of the team. The wearables track movement patterns, environmental factors, and fatigue, helping reduce risk and fostering a more supportive environment for employees, empowering them with better tools and insights.

The new digital infrastructure has reduced Takt time, improved stock accuracy, and created a safer and more efficient working environment. Paper use has been cut by approximately 180,000 sheets per year, delivering environmental, cost, and operational benefits.

“Digital thinking at Dennis Eagle Blackpool is now a mindset embedded into how we plan, innovate, and invest for the future,” said Oli Minett, General Manager, Dennis Eagle Blackpool.

“Dennis Eagle’s history spans over 130 years and we want the business to remain an agile industry leader as technology evolves. We’re thrilled that our investment in this area has been recognised by the Red Rose Awards. Our success to date has positioned our digital system for rollout across other Dennis Eagle sites, demonstrating our commitment to continuous improvement and a connected, future-ready business.”

Plan B | Plan B Awards for Excellence Shortlisting

Plan B Management Solutions (Plan B) is delighted to share that we have been shortlisted in all three categories we entered at this year’s Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management.

Our shortlisted entries are:

  • Reuse Initiative of the Year – Creating circular change: delivering reuse results in Essex
  • Independent Business of the Year – Plan B: Driving performance and value in public sector environmental services
  • Civic Amenity Site of the Year – Recycling excellence at Pyle Community Recycling Centre

These awards bring together more than 1,000 leaders and innovators from across the recycling and waste management sector, so it’s a real privilege to be recognised alongside some of the best service providers in the industry.

Most importantly, this recognition reflects the commitment, expertise and care our team delivers every day. The results we achieve for clients and communities are only possible because of our people.

The awards ceremony takes place on 13 May 2026. We’re keeping everything crossed for further success with our shortlisted entries.

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