Organisations in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province stand the chance to be acknowledged for their positive environmental contributions at the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa’s (IWMSA) KZN Waste Management Awards 2016. Waste-wise businesses of all sizes are encouraged to enter the bi-annual awards before 30 June 2016 to be recognised as a respected waste conscious organisation.

“The IWMSA KZN Waste Management Awards 2016 is open to all businesses operating in the KZN province. It is a platform for organisations to showcase their commitment to responsible waste management practices,” says Sue Beningfield from the IWMSA KZN Branch, responsible for the awards portfolio.

Past winners

Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI) Phoenix Manufacturing Plant, Afripack Consumer Flexibles KZN and Clifton Hill Homeowners’ Association walked away with top honours at the 2014 prestigious awards. The bi-annual IWMSA KZN Waste Management Awards began in 1992 as a Durban initiative and since 2002 has honoured the top organisations in the entire province, with the main objective of promoting best practices in waste management.

The competition is open to general manufacturing and service industry organisations operating in the province, namely:

• General Manufacturing <250 Employees
• General Manufacturing >250 Employees
• The Service Industry – including but not limited to retail centres, hotels, housing estates or schools

Organisations with more than one premises which operate independently should enter separately based on the above categories and will also be judged independently.

Encouraging excellence

“The KZN Waste Management Awards is one of the IWMSA’s initiatives aimed towards assisting organisations to think and implement efficient and effective waste management practices. It is also an opportunity for organisations to showcase their efforts and share best practices,” says Prof. Suzan Oelofse, President of the IWMSA.

Businesses are urged to enter online. Judging will consist of a site visit and audit during August to October 2016. Professional members of the IWMSA, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) and the National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa (NCPC) will conduct the judging.

Organisations will be required to submit the following:

• The organisation’s waste management or environmental policy statements;
• Their annual waste management report which must include volume per waste type, waste classification and name of the facility where waste was sent to for 2014/5 and 2015/6 periods; and
• Projects undertaken to address waste minimisation and cost savings.

“Professional and responsible waste management provides financial, as well as environmental and health benefits. Past entrants and winners report a wide range of benefits from entering the competition, including: a reduction in waste volumes, improved resource efficiency and better profit margins. We urge all organisations to enter, and be recognised for their green contributions,” concludes Beningfield.

For more information or to enter, please click here or call 031-564-2795.

For more information on the IWMSA and the Awards, visit www.iwmsa.co.za. The IWMSA is also on Twitter (https://twitter.com/IWMSA) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/iwmsa).