Pathway To Zero Waste open for business!

Date: March 4th 2009

Click to view the following sections:

An excellent and inspirational event A great start Hilary Benn pledges his support (watch the film) PTZW launch presentations (download the slides) Photos of the launch event

The industry keynote speaker at PTZW’s launch was Mark Tant, Managing Director, Willmottt Dixon Construction. Mark delivered an excellent, and extremely well-received presentation on his company’s zero waste vision – which includes targets for zero carbon emissions and zero waste to landfill by 2012 – the practical steps they are taking to achieve it and the business benefits they are already enjoying as a result.

Mark’s presentation demonstrated that the Pathway To Zero Waste needn’t be a complicated or costly journey for any construction company. The same techniques that Willmott Dixon are introducing could be adopted by the entire industry – to great effect.

Download Mark's presentation.

Dr Chindarat Taylor provided an overview of PTZW’s strategic approach, and the six workstreams that make up its ‘catalytic route to zero waste’. Chindarat described how the PTZW team combines best practice from the public and private sectors and will operate with commercial logic and real customer focus, bringing organisations together and brokering deals, and “definitely not just talking!”

Download Chindarat's presentation.

When everyone had reported back on their table discussions, a short Q&A session was followed by a closing address from the Environment Agency’s Chairman, Lord Chris Smith, who said:

“The central point of PTZW is not to think of waste as waste, but as material that can be put to other human purposes.

“This is not an environmental issue, it’s an economic one, with profound benefits for the both the South East and the UK’s economies.

“We’ve got a real opportunity here, but we have to work together. We won’t achieve anything if we work in isolation.

“Above all, PTZW is about harnessing the energy that has been created in this room today.

“It’s incredibly important that we make this work.”

PTZW are running a number of events over the coming months, in which you can find out about the benefits that diverting waste from landfill can provide for your organisation. Click here to find out more.