Kenny Waste Management is a business that is always trying to reduce its environmental impacts. Since 2018, we have been teaming up with the Woodland Trust in an attempt to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. Growing trees helps supress climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the air, storing carbon in trees and soil, and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. This assists in purifying the air that we breathe.
On an operational level, two groups of staff have assisted the Woodland Trust in planting trees at the local Smithells Estate in Bolton. Kenny Waste Management employees, including three apprentices, spent half a day on the estate planting around 100 trees.
The tasks were beneficial not only to the environment, but also the apprentices as they were able to obtain an understanding of how our business communicates with other organisations. Kenny Waste Management is continuously looking for different ways to help our apprentices progress, therefore, to give them this chance to learn was especially valuable.
Shauna, one of the apprentices to be involved, felt that the day was fulfilling as she commented that:
‘The Woodland Trust’s efforts are essential to the UK’s target of reduced carbon emissions over the coming years. Therefore, to know I have contributed to their work is extremely pleasing. The day benefitted me in many ways as I was able to gain further insight into a range of issues as well as furthering my working relationships with people within our tree planting team. I am thankful to the Woodland Trust for allowing us to take part and I would not hesitate to be involved in similar activities in the future.’
Having seen the positive impacts of our initial visit to the Woodland Trust’s estate, another group decided to go in November of the same year, three of our team spent a further half day on the site planting around 100 trees. The ability to get different people involved allowed us to spread the message of how important a reduced carbon footprint is. We were delighted to see the levels of engagement the two trips received, and we are planning ahead to see how we can help the Woodland Trust operationally in the coming years.
As well as our tree planting work, we have also been providing a waste collection service free of charge to the Woodland Trust’s Smithells Estate. Overall, we have serviced fourteen 14-yard enclosed skips over the space of 20 months. This has resulted in the Woodland Trust being able to remove 23.7 tonnes of waste off their site. Additionally, Kenny Waste Management also provides a 1100 litre bin on a weekly collection schedule to aid the charity further.
In normal circumstances, the service would have cost the charity £8,993.58. It is our hope that by providing the service free of charge, the Woodland Trust can continue to positively effect the local carbon levels with increased funds.
Carbon creation is a biproduct of the waste industry and has negative effects on the environment. Therefore, the way we combat this is of paramount importance. Kenny Waste Management takes our environmental responsibility very seriously and understand we all have a role to play in helping the UK reach its carbon targets, and these are our first steps in a wider environmental strategy.
