Third Keep Guernsey Green Award win for Archivist

The awards – first established by Environment & Infrastructure in 2006 – recognise organisations that help Guernsey maintain a healthy, clean environment by operating to best practice in waste management and energy conservation.

Archivist recycles 720 tons of shredded paper per year, collected from offices around the island.

They are shredded to an industry standard ‘98% put-back ability’ and sent to Mayside recycling on-island.

The material is then compacted into bales and sent to the UK to be reused as paper towel products.

The company, which was founded in 1990, has held the award since 2010 and have recently re-validated their award for another three-year term.

E&I ask for a fee every three-years to issue the award.

Archivist director Bryan Smitheram said the business was passionate about playing its part in the preservation of the environment.

‘We have actively recycled for our clients and ourselves over the past 25 years. Moving forward, our most recent warehouse has been fitted out with energy-efficient LED lighting and we have started a programme to replace all fluorescent light fittings in our nine warehouses, which shows our ongoing commitment.

‘A lot of our clients are looking for that green initiative now and some are looking for these specific standards and we can enable them to recycle in a secure way,’ he said.

The company was presented with a physical KGGA made from recycled plastic bottle tops in a presentation attended by Environment & Infrastructure president Deputy Barry Brehaut.

‘We talk in broad strokes about the environment in terms of policies but what this shows is the actual delivery of those efforts. The business is committed to recycling and they give a very high quality product to Mayside locally who really need it,’ said Deputy Brehaut.

Independent assessor for the award Keith Tapscott said:

‘Whilst facing the challenges of operating over several sites, this innovative, family-run organisation has been able to recognise and deliver its core green policy in each of its differing premises, communicating its values to staff, clients and suppliers.’

Each organisation which applies for the award is subject to an assessment which monitors the current actions and future commitments taken by the company to reduce waste, increase recycling and improve energy conservation. An assessor is assigned to each organisation and provides guidance and support throughout the process.

The award is open to any size and type of organisation in Guernsey and is valid for three years, after which it can be re-validated on a triennial basis.

n Further information is available on www.gov.gg/kgga.