Clean City Awards

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What is the Clean City Awards Scheme?

Essential though it is, waste management seldom enjoys a high profile within a commercial organisation except when it goes wrong. Launched in 1994, the Clean City Awards Scheme is an initiative by the City of London Corporation designed to develop a partnership with City businesses, both large and small, to achieve a clean environment through good waste management.

The object of the Clean City Awards Scheme is to raise the profile of effective waste management by recognising and rewarding good practice and encouraging the wider adoption of the principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The climax for successful companies is an annual awards ceremony and luncheon in the Guildhall.

Aims of the Scheme

To promote good waste management practices
To encourage waste minimisation, reuse and recycling
To increase awareness of, and ensure compliance with the Duty of Care regulations
To encourage City businesses to take pride in their surroundings
To provide a forum for city businesses to exchange waste management initiatives
To reduce waste stored on the highway
To improve security

Benefits to companies on the Scheme

Free expert advice on waste management and current waste legislation
Improved waste management may which reduce your costs
Improved public health and safety
Improved security
Knowledge that you are carrying out your legal responsibilities
Enhanced company image
Participation in the Environmental Best Practice Group
Help for tenants and landlords / managing agents

Our role

On-site meetings with staff responsible for waste management to discuss your waste management practices
Advice on how best to dispose of the types of waste your company produces, how your waste can be reduced in volume or recycled
How to dispose of special / hazardous waste which your company may produce
Advice on compliance with current waste related legislation

Entry to the scheme is entirely free. All you have to do is complete an entry form and agree to comply to a code of good practice. There are a number of ways in which you can complete an application form. Either download and print off a copy using the first link below, or follow the second link and complete the application form online. Alternatively if you would rather a member of the CCAS team paid you a visit before hand please get in contact with one of us to arrange a meeting.

Download the application form (187kb)

Or complete the application form online

Judging and the awards ceremony

Old Library set up for a ceremony The City Corporation hosts an awards ceremony each year at Mansion House. All companies having achieved improvements in their waste management practices or consistently maintained a high standard are presented with a certificate to mark their success. Judging is undertaken by an independent panel following monitoring of premises (premises are visited usually every six to eight weeks by Cleansing Services staff, photographic evidence may be taken to identify improvements or shortfalls in waste management practices and a checklist completed). Following the judging, winners and the press are invited to Mansion House for the awards presentation followed by a reception.

2007 winners

At the awards ceremony held on 25 January 2008 at the Mansion House over 200 companies received certificates in recognition of their achievements in 2007.

The Premier Awards this year were presented to Norwich Union Opertaional Services for large waste producer and Positive Profile Limited for small waste producer. These companies are the overall winners, and were seen as the leaders in effective waste management and minimisation for 2007. The Platinum Award Special Commendation winners for 2007 were Henderson Global Investors, London Chamber of Commerce and Ashurst. These companies were recognised for their outstanding progress, recycling facilities and continued hard work.

Norwich Union collecting their award from the Lord Mayor

The Awards were presented by the Rt. Hon The Lord Mayor.

To download more information about the initiatives the winning Companies had in place in 2007 please click on one of the links below.

Norwich Union (Large Waste Producer) PDF (369kb)
Positive Profile (Small Waste Producer) PDF(767kb)

Best Practice Group

The Environmental Best Practice Group (EBPG) provides a forum for organisations located in the City to get together to exchange ideas on waste management, minimisation. As well as hearing from external advisors. All organisations are welcome to attend please contact the CCAS team if you are interested.

Minutes from previous meetings are available to download here.

CIWM Waste Awareness Certificate

The CIWM Waste Awareness certificate has been specifically designed for employees who have responsibilities for dealing with waste in companies and organisations that produce waste as part of a manufacturing, retail or service process.

The aims of the course are to provide an introduction to waste management and to provide the knowledge skills and understanding to improve the management of waste.

CIWM Waste Awareness Certificate poster The course covers the following aspects:

Reduction, reuse, recovery and recycling of waste
Management of waste
Introduction to waste auditing
Safety and environmental aspects of waste management
Legal obligations such as “Duty of care”

Download a PDF of the poster (119kb)

More information can be found on the Chartered Institution of Waste Management website.

The course concludes with a short open book, multi choice assessment test. Successful candidates are awarded a certificate from the Chartered Institution of Waste Management.

The Clean City Awards Scheme Team are qualified as registered trainers for the Waste Awareness Certifiate. We can run in house courses for your company and will be offering courses in our newly built offices in the new year.

If you are interesting in attending a course or would just like some more information feel free to contact us on 0207 606 3110 or via email or visit CIWM Waste Awareness Website.

Advice & further information

To find out more about the Clean City Awards Scheme and to get further advice about efficient waste management please visit our advice page.

Other City of London Corporation awards schemes

Lord Mayor's Dragon Awards
The Lord Mayor’s Dragon Awards celebrate annually the contribution made by London companies towards the social and economic regeneration of their local communities.

Sustainable City Awards
Most responsible organisations now understand that sustainability lies at the heart of long-term business success and the Sustainable City Awards aim to recognise and reward best practice in this rapidly developing arena.

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