Environment Agency award UKSA £500 to further their ‘Reduce, Re-use, Recycle’ initiative

A £500 grant has enabled UKSA to expand their ‘Reduce, Re-use, Recycle’ initiative through the purchase of additional recycling banks for the Academy’s school group accommodation blocks and communal areas. Jerry Hallam from the Environment Agency visited UKSA on Monday 16th April to see the new recycling bins in action.

An easily stackable system is being trialled in one of the school accommodation areas with plans to introduce this system into the other two accommodation areas next year. It is hoped that this will encourage children staying at the Academy to divide up their refuse to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. The ‘Convert-Bins’ are clearly labelled so that paper, organic / kitchen waste and general items are segregated. A paper recycling system has been operational throughout UKSA’s offices for some time, creating average savings each year of around 85 trees, 85,000 gallons of water and enough energy to heat the average home for 2.5 years.

Commenting on the award, Rob Reed who oversees UKSA’s environmental policy says, “The funding that we have been given by the Environment Agency will help us reduce the amount of refuse going to landfill and increase the amount of recycling that we are currently doing. Being a marine training centre, it is very important that we look after the environment and safeguard it for future generations.”

As part of UKSA’s environmental policy, a number of systems have been put in place around the Academy, here are a few examples:

• All catering tins used by the kitchen are washed out and crushed before being collected for recycling free of charge by Tony Lewis of LA Recycling.
• A bin for glass waste has been purchased and is being used by the Kitchen Staff. This is then merged into UKSA’s glass recycling bins and collected regularly for recycling by Island Waste.
• The UKSA bar area has a 3 bin waste container to segregate bottles, tins and cups.
• All offices have a paper recycling point.
• Clean plastic recycling is being trialled in one office and collected for recycling by LA Recycling.
• All household batteries used at UKSA are disposed of via a firm called Envirogreen. They are sent for recycling rather than going into Island landfill.
• All old computers and electronic items are disposed of in compliance with the new Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE Directive), disposing of goods responsibly and by recycling.

UKSA first started actively promoting an environmental awareness policy in 2000, by taking part in the Building Better Business – Green tips for Profit Award Scheme, co-ordinated by the Southampton Environment Centre. Since then, the Academy has gone on to win the Green Island Gold Award in 2004, 2005 and 2006. The organisation has also taken part in the National and International Green Apple Awards, receiving Silver awards for Environmental Best Practice in 2004 and commendation for a small to medium sized enterprise in 2005. UKSA has also been included in ‘The Green Book’, an international reference book of environmental good practice as a case study demonstrating how environmental initiatives can be introduced and sustained in a business environment. 

UKSA is actively involved in ‘The Green Blue’, an environmental awareness campaign specifically aimed at marine businesses and run by the BMF and RYA, supported by DEFRA. UKSA has spoken at a number of seminars, encouraging other organisations to ‘Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle’. All students trained at the Academy are also introduced to The Green Blue’s environmental code of conduct, educating them about environmental best practice for the marine environment.

UKSA hopes to expand on its environmental initiatives in years to come by introducing solar energy and biomass fuel when funding becomes available. A long term goal is that all UKSA vans will be fuelled by Bio-diesel when it becomes more commonly available.