Sodexo Remote Sites Australia wins 2009 Golden Gecko Award for Environmental Excellence
11/9/2009
Sodexo Remote Sites Australia has won the 2009 Golden Gecko Award for Environmental Excellence for its Resource Recovery Program.
Perth, 10 September 2009 - Sodexo Remote Sites Australia has won the 2009 Golden Gecko Award for Environmental Excellence for its Resource Recovery Program. The Golden Gecko Awards are the most prestigious accolades for environmental excellence in the Western Australian mineral and petroleum industries.
The award-winning project aims to provide a sustainable alternative to existing waste management practices. “I am very proud of our team for this achievement. I believe small steps in improving the environment can create a significant impact in the future”, says Gary Mickler, Chief Operating Officer Sodexo Remote Sites Australia.
Mine sites in remote areas typically require land managed as dedicated landfill sites. By identifying ways to minimise materials consumption and maximise recovery of recyclables, Sodexo has so far avoided the need for 1275m3 of landfill space for the twelve clients that have adopted the program. The Resource Recovery Program also supports the community by donating 100% of program-generated money to Princess Margaret Hospital and the Royal Flying Doctor Service through Ruggies Recycling.
Materials are initially segregated through clearly labelled and identifiable recycling stations throughout the site before being compacted and packaged for transport. Sodexo has developed unique equipment to effectively handle specific site-appropriate volumes of materials. For example:
- a custom-designed large glass crusher has been constructed to handle high volume of glass
- a specialised trolley is used for delivering and collecting bulk canola oil used in cooking (for conversion to biodiesel, then mixed with regular diesel to run vehicles on some sites).
“We would like to thank our clients for supporting the program and suppliers such as Biosphere for designing and providing the equipment and Nexus Transport for transporting all the recyclables back to Perth at no cost. The success of this program is a direct outcome of their generous support,” shares Gary Mickler.
About Sodexo
Sodexo, founded in 1966 by Pierre Bellon, is a world leader in Food and Facilities Management services, with more than 355,000 employees on 30,600 sites in 80 countries as of August 31, 2008. For Fiscal 2008, which closed August 31, 2008, Sodexo had revenue of 13.6 billion euro. Listed on Euronext Paris, the Group has a current market capitalization of 5,8 billion euro.
Contact: Gary Mickler
Tel: 08 9242 0700
