NEC wins Sustainability and Recycling Award
The NEC has picked up the award for Best Waste and Recycling Scheme in the Business category of Birmingham City Council’s first Sustainability and Recycling Awards on 18th July.
The venue was awarded the green accolade for a number of successful projects introduced across the business that have minimised waste and increased recycling.
The win comes just weeks after the venue received Highly Commended at the National Recycling Awards in London.
<>NEC operations director Brian Pell commented: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We work hard to monitor the environmental impact of our operations both at events and in our offices, and so we’re extremely proud that our efforts have not only been successful in minimising negative impacts, but have also been recognised – especially by our local council.”
In 2010 and 2013, The NEC won the event industry’s AEO Excellence Award for Sustainability, and this year picked up the AEO's Venue Team of the Year and the Excellence Award. It was the second time in three years that Team NEC had been successful in the Venue Team category.
In 2012, the venue reached its ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ target two years ahead of schedule by developing a Waste Pre-Treatment Centre, which was certificated by the demanding and well respected ISO 14001 standard in 2013.
Planning permission has also been granted to build a £100 million on-site Biomass plant that is set to make The NEC venue energy self-sufficient.
The NEC also involves and supports local communities by donating materials from its operations for re-use and recently donated 120 tonnes of top soil to a local farm to create allotments for people with learning disabilities.