Embracing the triple bottom line

SUEZ recycling and recovery UK

While traditionally the measure of success for a business has been centred around profitability, recently

a more sustainable approach has gained ground. More organisations are appreciating the benefits of considering the ‘triple bottom line’ approach, which fundamentally rests on the belief that companies should focus as much on social and environmental impacts as they do on financial aspects.   

There are many cross-industry organisations doing remarkable things to show how much social, environmental, and economic value can be created by following a triple bottom line approach. SUEZ recycling and recovery UK is one of them. They are a leading waste and resource management company, delivering environmentally responsible solutions for more than 30,000 local authority and business customers across the UK. They are also pioneering innovative technologies to help shape a sustainable environment. SUEZ has recognised the importance of embedding this approach even further into their business and reporting on performance based on its impact on the planet, people and profit.

To align with this approach, they have successfully run various projects and activities. For instance, SUEZ has organised many fundraising events over the last five years, which have so far raised more than £300,000 for their national charity partner, Macmillan Cancer Support. To complement this, their Giving Something Back programme aims to encourage everyone in the company to get involved with local causes and support national charities. Last Christmas, SUEZ asked their employees across the UK to nominate charities that would either help make Christmas better for others or improve the local environment in 2021. Following this, they donated to more than 50 charities over the festive period.

However, social value goes beyond charitable activities, and SUEZ evaluated how it could further support local communities. In September 2020, the pandemic made lesson planning challenging for teachers at schools up and down the country. An opportunity was identified to help support them and SUEZ launched a new suite of educational resources designed to bring STEM education to life in classrooms for primary and secondary school students.

From an environmental perspective, SUEZ has developed a number of projects to assist with preserving and improving biodiversity. For example, their facilities in Severnside, Suffolk, Teesside, and others have run an initiative to improve local biodiversity, by providing education activity days for local schools, as well as helping to halt the declining bee population. With beehives installed onsite, there are now over 100,000 bees calling it home.

SUEZ has been working hard to deliver meaningful social and environmental benefits through our services. If you would like to find out how you can reap the benefits of social value through your waste management contract, contact SUEZ today.