London’s leading recycling and resource management firm commits to Net Zero by 2030

Bywaters to adopt internationally recognised principles and commit to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) requirements for Net Zero standards.

• Bywaters to focus on:
• Expanding the use of renewable energy since installation of 4,000 solar panels on the roof of Bywaters’ Material Recycling Facility
• Rapid, deep emission cuts
• Near and long term targets
• Target achievement verification before any success claims
• An approach that goes beyond the value chain
• Equal commitment to reducing scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions

“Net Zero operations is achievable, even for a firm of our size and scale of work across one of the world’s busiest cities. We have an ethical obligation to make this happen, and we will by 2030.” – John Glover Sr, MD at Bywaters.

Bywaters, London’s leading recycling and resource management firm, has announced its commitment to reaching Net Zero by 2030.

In doing so, Bywaters has pledged to adhere to the strictest internationally recognised principles, by committing to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) requirements for Net Zero standards.

In order to meet the necessary requirements laid out by SBTi, Bywaters will be focusing on key areas such as rapid/deep emission cuts, planning for near and long-term targets, and expanded use of renewable energy, target achievement verification (before any success claims are made) and an equal commitment spread across reducing scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.

In particular, Bywaters will make crucial progress in the following areas:

1. Reducing emissions across all operations: Bywaters will assess every element of performance, identifying opportunities to reduce emissions across scopes 1,2 and 3 wherever possible.
2. Ramp up continued use of renewable energy: Following the installation of 4,000 solar panels on the roof of Bywaters’ Material Recycling Facility, the firm will invest in new opportunities to self-derive sustainable energy to power operations.
3. Utilise rigorous monitoring methods to track performance: Bywaters will continue to verify and track performance, with full transparency, to validate progress along the SBTi pathway.
4. Invest in zero emissions technical innovations: From zero-emissions lorries to harvesting latent heat generated by the Material Recycling Facility, Bywaters will invest in all operational sectors to reduce overall environmental
5. Keep the public updated: Bywaters will track performance to improve services whilst also delivering transparent updates to the public.

Working with Planet Mark, Bywaters has adopted short and long-term goals to deliver lasting carbon reductions throughout operations. These plans have led to rapid emissions cuts, more than halving the company’s carbon output over the past eight years.

In 2014, Bywaters reported a total of 5111.8 tonnes CO2 equivalent – since then, they have openly reported emissions of 2543.5 tonnes in 2020 and 2,222.7 tonnes in 2021 – equating to a scope 1 and scope 2 emissions reduction of 50.24% in 2020 and 56.52% in 2021.

The carbon intensity measures, which outline emissions per employee (total emissions in tonnes CO2 equivalent/number of Bywaters employees in that year) – are just as impressive. In 2014, Bywaters generated 17.51 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per employee; by 2021 this figure had reduced to 11 tonnes – a 37.18% reduction.

Embedding sustainable practices throughout the company ethos and staff culture has been supported by several key projects:

1. Installation of solar panels – 2016 – Bywaters installed 4000 solar panels on the roof of its Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). Generating up to 700MWh a year.
2. Euro 6 and electric vehicles – 2018 – Bywaters invested £7 million to replace its fleet with Euro-6 vehicles, including two-caged 3.5 tonne tipper vehicles, 25 dustcarts, 5 tail-lift vehicles, 13 skip-loaders, and 17 hook-loaders. These were supported by a fully electric staff fleet and fast-action vans.
3. Lighting project – Bywaters surveyed lighting within its facilities with a view of upgrading to LED. 179 lights are being replaced on a phased approach. Once this is completed entirely, there is an estimated 31,053 kWh annual savings.
4. Rainwater harvesting – Bywaters Installed a 10,000-litre tank to reduce water consumption, funnelling the guttering of its Lea Riverside MRF into a rainwater harvesting tank. g The siphoned water is used to wash containers and vehicles reducing the use of mains supply.
5. ISO 50001 – 9th of March 2020 – Bywaters achieved the rigorous ISO:50001 standard for its energy management system. This certification outlines Bywaters’ commitment to efficient energy management and continuous improvement.
6. Electric Dustcart – August 2022 – The first of Bywaters’ electric RCVs is now operational. This forms the start of an ambitious electrification plan, propped up by an initial £7 million investment. 

Commenting on the Net Zero commitment, John Glover Sr, MD at Bywaters, said: “Net Zero operations is achievable, even for a firm of our size and scale of work across one of the world’s busiest cities. We have an ethical imperative to make this happen, and we will by 2030.

“We also need to ensure we stay true to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) requirements. These are crucial as they are internationally respected and recognised measurements. As London’s leading recycling and waste management firm, we have a responsibility to lead by example on this issue while providing transparency on how we’re getting there. We’re not doing this as part of an effort to distinguish ourselves from competitors; in fact, it’s the opposite. We want the rest of the industry to follow suit and join us in this endeavour. To help make this happen, we’ve made sure our process and plan is laid out in the accompanying white paper to this announcement; we invite all our partners, clients, competitors and other businesses in our sector to read this and engage with us. We welcome any discourse and will be happy to share our learnings along the way. Ultimately, all businesses need to reach Net Zero if we are to have a chance of staying below 1.5 degrees warming, so let’s work together on this.”

For more information, go to: https://www.bywaters.co.uk/.