Interserve joint venture Landmarc Support Services (Landmarc) has reduced wastage sent to landfill by 97 per cent after implementing a range of measures to minimise its environmental impact.
Landmarc is the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO)’s industry partner for managing the Ministry of Defence (MOD) national training estate. The company has always set itself ambitious targets in this area and continues to coordinate effort and investment into sustainable waste management to drive and maintain high standards of performance, recycling 66 per cent of waste and diverting 97 per cent from landfill in 2019/20.
Landmarc has achieved these dramatic results thanks to the hard work of its regional teams working towards the objectives outlined in its Sustainability Strategy, which was launched in April 2017. In practical terms, the company created eight Waste Sorting Stations across the UK which sift waste and ensure everything which can be recycled is processed accordingly.
Colleagues based at the stations segregate and recycle around 20 different materials including hard plastic, batteries, waste oils, metal, food, wood and cardboard as well as military debris. Dry mixed recycling facilities – for paper, card, cans, plastic bottles – are available on camp, and the team sorts the residual waste to ensure no recyclable materials are lost.
The team constantly investigates new ways of reducing the amount of rubbish that ends up in the general waste, as a way to increase the amount of waste diverted from landfill, and recently introduced a new glass recycling scheme and trialled a food waste digester.
Sustainability Strategy
Using the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework for prioritising action, Landmarc created targets in relation to ‘Responsible Production and Consumption’ and ‘Climate Action’ to inform the approach to sustainable waste management, as well as the Greening Government Commitments and Sustainable MOD Strategy.
To support this, Landmarc invested heavily to develop an effective approach including waste sorting stations, staff training and development, and partnership working with key stakeholders.
Sustainable waste champions
The Waste Sorting Stations (WSS) are central to Landmarc’s approach. The stations are based in six regions across the UK: Westdown Camp in the South West, Lydd in the South East, Castlemartin and Sennybridge in Wales and West, Otterburn and Warcop in the North, Barry Budden in Scotland, and West Tofts in the East.
Originally established to sift for military debris, the WSS teams are now responsible for overseeing waste management locally and driving improvements. Amanda Williams, Sustainability Manager, said: “The teams are passionate about waste management and pride themselves on delivering improvements and cost savings.
“There are countless examples of Landmarc staff who have gone above and beyond their core duties, taking the initiative to prevent unnecessary waste and demonstrate a commitment to sustainable resource management. All those involved deserve a mention for their hard work, enthusiasm and ideas to improve performance in this area, with our sustainable waste champions continuing to be critical to achieving our goals.”
Sustainability Skills
As part of a wider drive to develop sustainability skills, the Landmarc Sustainability Team has toured the UK delivering Waste Management training to operational staff involved in handling waste.
The aim is to ensure colleagues consider waste as a resource, apply the waste hierarchy, understand legal requirements and the environmental impact of waste, and are equipped to contribute to waste targets. The training is tailored to the different legal requirements of the devolved nations.
Formal training is supported by workplace talks and on the job training assignment instructions, with more resources being developed all the time including a new hazardous waste training course.
Partnership for Sustainable Development
The SDGs have called for partnerships at all levels to ensure stakeholders work together to achieve a sustainable future. Businesses must coordinate with a broad range of actors to deliver services in a sustainable manner and Landmarc is committed to taking a collaborative approach to sustainability.
A key partnership in delivering sustainable waste management is the relationship with national waste broker GPT, who support the company in sourcing the best and most efficient supply chain in rural and remote locations.
Landmarc supports a flexible approach to sustainable waste management, and services at each site are tailored to meet user requirements and geographical constraints. This maximises efficiency at site level, encourages landfill diversion, and improves recovery and recycling rates.
Amanda Williams said: “Meeting these standards has required commitment, both in developing sustainability skills and embedding good practice at all levels within the organisation, as well as from the operational staff who do the hard work at the frontline.
“Thanks to a long-term commitment to the development of waste and resource management strategy on the training estate, Interserve joint venture Landmarc has driven performance improvements from a four per cent recorded recycling rate in 2008 to a 66 per cent recycling rate in 2019/20.
“The key to this success has been a combination of partnership working, targeted investment, and a genuine passion and commitment among the sustainable waste champions at all levels within the organisation.”
Landmarc is the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO)’s industry partner for managing the Ministry of Defence (MOD) national training estate. The company has always set itself ambitious targets in this area and continues to coordinate effort and investment into sustainable waste management to drive and maintain high standards of performance, recycling 66 per cent of waste and diverting 97 per cent from landfill in 2019/20.
Landmarc has achieved these dramatic results thanks to the hard work of its regional teams working towards the objectives outlined in its Sustainability Strategy, which was launched in April 2017. In practical terms, the company created eight Waste Sorting Stations across the UK which sift waste and ensure everything which can be recycled is processed accordingly.
Colleagues based at the stations segregate and recycle around 20 different materials including hard plastic, batteries, waste oils, metal, food, wood and cardboard as well as military debris. Dry mixed recycling facilities – for paper, card, cans, plastic bottles – are available on camp, and the team sorts the residual waste to ensure no recyclable materials are lost.
The team constantly investigates new ways of reducing the amount of rubbish that ends up in the general waste, as a way to increase the amount of waste diverted from landfill, and recently introduced a new glass recycling scheme and trialled a food waste digester.
Sustainability Strategy
Using the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework for prioritising action, Landmarc created targets in relation to ‘Responsible Production and Consumption’ and ‘Climate Action’ to inform the approach to sustainable waste management, as well as the Greening Government Commitments and Sustainable MOD Strategy.
To support this, Landmarc invested heavily to develop an effective approach including waste sorting stations, staff training and development, and partnership working with key stakeholders.
Sustainable waste champions
The Waste Sorting Stations (WSS) are central to Landmarc’s approach. The stations are based in six regions across the UK: Westdown Camp in the South West, Lydd in the South East, Castlemartin and Sennybridge in Wales and West, Otterburn and Warcop in the North, Barry Budden in Scotland, and West Tofts in the East.
Originally established to sift for military debris, the WSS teams are now responsible for overseeing waste management locally and driving improvements. Amanda Williams, Sustainability Manager, said: “The teams are passionate about waste management and pride themselves on delivering improvements and cost savings.
“There are countless examples of Landmarc staff who have gone above and beyond their core duties, taking the initiative to prevent unnecessary waste and demonstrate a commitment to sustainable resource management. All those involved deserve a mention for their hard work, enthusiasm and ideas to improve performance in this area, with our sustainable waste champions continuing to be critical to achieving our goals.”
Sustainability Skills
As part of a wider drive to develop sustainability skills, the Landmarc Sustainability Team has toured the UK delivering Waste Management training to operational staff involved in handling waste.
The aim is to ensure colleagues consider waste as a resource, apply the waste hierarchy, understand legal requirements and the environmental impact of waste, and are equipped to contribute to waste targets. The training is tailored to the different legal requirements of the devolved nations.
Formal training is supported by workplace talks and on the job training assignment instructions, with more resources being developed all the time including a new hazardous waste training course.
Partnership for Sustainable Development
The SDGs have called for partnerships at all levels to ensure stakeholders work together to achieve a sustainable future. Businesses must coordinate with a broad range of actors to deliver services in a sustainable manner and Landmarc is committed to taking a collaborative approach to sustainability.
A key partnership in delivering sustainable waste management is the relationship with national waste broker GPT, who support the company in sourcing the best and most efficient supply chain in rural and remote locations.
Landmarc supports a flexible approach to sustainable waste management, and services at each site are tailored to meet user requirements and geographical constraints. This maximises efficiency at site level, encourages landfill diversion, and improves recovery and recycling rates.
Amanda Williams said: “Meeting these standards has required commitment, both in developing sustainability skills and embedding good practice at all levels within the organisation, as well as from the operational staff who do the hard work at the frontline.
“Thanks to a long-term commitment to the development of waste and resource management strategy on the training estate, Interserve joint venture Landmarc has driven performance improvements from a four per cent recorded recycling rate in 2008 to a 66 per cent recycling rate in 2019/20.
“The key to this success has been a combination of partnership working, targeted investment, and a genuine passion and commitment among the sustainable waste champions at all levels within the organisation.”