Recycling Lives Given a Queen's Award

Recycling Lives Given A Queen’s Award
for Waste Processing and Materials Recovery

Recycling Lives, a Lancashire based waste processing business has won a Queen’s Award for the third time. They won the award, which is the highest award that can be given to UK businesses, for International Trade. They won the award in 2010 and 2014 for Sustainable Development. The awards were given for innovation in recycling televisions in 2010 and in 2014, they were recognised for their work in HMP Kirkham, giving offenders the chance to learn new skills and improve their chances of getting a job. Recycling Lives is still the largest TV recycler in Britain, while the prison programme has been rolled out to nine prisons across England. The reoffending rate of offenders who participate in the programme is only 6%, compared to the national average of 67%.

This time around, they’ve been recognised for their work processing waste for businesses like John Lewis, BT, and British Gas and recovering metal and plastics for recycling.

The company has expanded from having four sites in the Lancashire area, to nine sites nationwide in the past 18 months, and it’s won some major contracts. Recycling lives have gone from a local recycling firm to a business who provide processing and recycling services with a global reach. Their flagship site in Preston processes thousands of tonnes of waste each year, and sends recycled metals to Europe, Asia, and the US for reuse.

The founder of Recycling Lives said the company was delighted to win their third award, and it was all down to the skills and dedication of their workforce. He added that Recycling Lives is proof that a business can combine commercial activities with social impact.

He is referring to the company’s commitment to running three charitable programmes including residential support for the homeless, offender rehabilitation, and helping community groups and charities through a programme of food distribution. The company funds all three programmes.

Recycling Lives is one of only five businesses in the Lancashire region to win three Queen’s awards, and only 185 businesses in total have won the award since it was introduced in 1966. Now Recycling Lives can claim they’re in the same hall of fame as companies like Jaguar, Weetabix, and Marks and Spencer.