The achievements of organisations, who have embraced the green agenda with their efforts to develop sustainable recycling and waste management systems, were recently recognised at The Severnside Annual Recycling Awards held at The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. At the awards ceremony, The Range were rewarded for their efforts and received an award for the organisation best committed to the changing of business practices. The award highlights The Range’s efforts to develop new business practices that improve new and existing recycling initiatives.

After conducting a comprehensive review of waste management techniques, an extremely bold move was made. Each of our thirty-three stores had their waste bin capacity reduced by over 80% in volume. It is fair to say that this move was received with some shock by many of the store managers – but it is to everyone's credit in the organisation that 8 months down the line The Range has now established cardboard, plastic, polystyrene and metal recycling streams. Not stopping there, the next step is to introduce a pallet shredder to recycle used wooden pallets to sell as wood chippings in garden centres.

All this could not have been achieved with out the buy-in from every part of the organisation. Not bad for a company that started back in 1980 trading at open air markets.

From zero, The Range is now recycling 56 tonnes of cardboard and 8 tonnes of plastic every week. This change in ethos becomes doubly important when you consider The Range plans to increase its estate by 130 stores in the coming years.

Mr Chris Dawson, owner of the Range, commented, “The time has come for businesses, no matter their size, to realise that we have an impact on the sustainability of the environment and that through simple initiatives, we can all accept responsibility and contribute towards a bright future for both retailers and the communities in which our customers live.”