23 Mar 2022

Babcock waste recycling project highly commended at mod sanctuary awards 2021

Babcock has been highly commended at the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Sanctuary Awards 2021 for a waste recycling project at its Devonport facility.

The project has achieved ‘Highly Commended’ in the Net Zero and Resource Efficiency category by demonstrating how shot blasting process waste has been successfully diverted from landfill to be repurposed for other applications.

The waste is transported on a ‘back haul’ process. Vehicles that deliver the new shot blast media collect the spent waste and take it back for reprocessing thereby cutting down on transport mileage and fuel usage. The waste is then taken to a site which holds an environmental permit for the reprocessing of this type of waste so it can be re-used in a variety of applications such as refractory, asphalt production, industrial flooring and ballast.

Jennifer Kirkwood, Group Head of Sustainability said “We are incredibly proud that our work has been recognised by the MOD. It’s a great outcome and a fantastic example of how we are reducing waste to landfill and implementing measures that minimise the impact of our operations on the environment.”  

The Sanctuary Awards is a showcase of the best conservation and sustainability projects from across the MOD. The Net Zero Carbon and Resource Efficiency category recognises ambition for reduction of energy, water or resource consumption, renewable energy or recycling. This year’s virtual ceremony took place on 22 March.