Kenny Waste Management Social Enterprise Ltd.
We recently collaborated with Kier Construction on a Pilot Programme to understand more about what materials are wasted on construction sites and identify opportunities to meet environmental targets. Kenny Waste Management Social Enterprise sponsored two Salford University postgraduate students to work on three Kier Construction sites to analyse waste for four weeks.
To celebrate Zero Waste Week, we are sharing the story of their success. This story highlights the power of cross-sector collaboration in construction and waste management to increase the productivity of resources, improve site behaviour, and add more circularity to the UK economy.
As a social enterprise guided by Inclusion, Trust, and Growth (our three core values), we are always keen to take on new opportunities to collaborate with our customers and other partner organisations. This programme, managed by Hannah Aston, Environmental Manager at Kier Construction North & Scotland, sought to replicate impactful work done in Scotland in 2021.
Combining academic knowledge and industry wisdom is always an exciting prospect, especially between these essential sectors on a project like this one. Our parent company, Kenny Waste Management, currently diverts more than 99% of waste from landfill, so we were eager to offer our expertise and sponsor these promising interns through their time at Kier.
We spoke to Oyinkansola and Louise, our internship programme participants, to learn about how they found it. Both were enthusiastic, showed commitment, and proved that asking lots of questions is the key to success.
“What an experience this internship has been. I have learned, networked, grown, and expanded my capacity. Extending the lifespan of construction materials and diverting waste away from landfill is not as straightforward it may seem on paper, and I will be taking all this first-hand knowledge with me into my future career. I know that I have made a real difference, and the feedback has been wonderful. This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of all the amazing people and teams involved. Thank you to Kier Construction and Kenny Waste Management Social Enterprise for the opportunity.”
– Oyinkansola Bamimore, Programme Participant and MSc Environmental Assessment and Management at Salford University
“This internship has been a wonderful hands-on experience. It’s opened our minds to the practical realities of waste in the construction industry. I have loved meeting all the people and I feel my confidence has grown. The partnership between Kier and Kenny Waste Management Social Enterprise has given me the opportunity to apply my learning and challenge perspectives. All involved have been receptive and insightful, and we’ve been enabled to make useful recommendations to improve site behaviour.”
– Louise Sturman, Programme Participant and MSc Environmental Assessment and Management at Salford University
The internship programme culminated in a presentation by Louise and Oyinkansola, who delivered their findings to Kier’s Contract and Project managers, as well as two of our own directors, Karen Hampton and Alex Mayes, at Kier’s Salford headquarters. They presented with a high level of professionalism, sharing short-term and long-term recommendations based on their observations, data, and analyses.
“The work undertaken by the interns and Kenny Waste Management Social Enterprise showed some very interesting results and the interns presented some solutions to some of our waste streams which we now need to pursue to support our target in producing zero avoidable waste. Working on the joint internship has shown fantastic rewards.”
– Hannah Aston, Environment Manager for Kier North & Scotland
“We are very pleased with the incredible work that Louise and Oyinkansola have done, and they have kickstarted some interesting conversations. The aim of this unique joint internship programme was to provide fresh perspectives and challenge assumptions, which they have accomplished completely. This success is owed both to individual achievements and the power of supply chain collaboration. We look forward to continuing our work alongside Kier.”
– Alex Mayes, Director at Kenny Waste Management Social Enterprise
We are always keen to collaborate with partner organisations including our customers. If you would like to learn more about us and get involved, please visit our website.
