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A sustainable partnership
24/Nov/2010
Sims Recycling Solutions are very pleased to announce that we have become a Corporate Member of Social Firms UK.
Sims has a long history of working with social enterprises and supported businesses in the UK and believes that a strategic partnership with Social Firms UK will create significant business opportunities underpinned by social gain. The expertise that each party brings to the table could provide a blueprint for commercial and social enterprise collaboration, whilst enabling more disadvantaged people to gain employment in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly fashion.
Sims Recycling Solutions has been at the forefront of the Green IT agenda for over a decade, developing specialist technologies for the asset management, recovery and recycling of ICT equipment.
The expertise that Social Firms and Sims brings to the table could provide a blueprint for commercial and social enterprise collaboration. Click to find out more about Social Firms.
Social Firms UK is a membership organisation which supports the development and sustainability of one type of social enterprise, Social Firms, whose specific social aim is to create jobs for people furthest away from the labour market.
Jon Godfrey, Sims’ Product Director for ICT Asset Recovery, commented “Sims Recycling Solutions exists to find economically viable solutions to sustain the use of our planet’s finite resources. Our service achieves this through the recovery, reuse and recycling of IT and Communications equipment. The impact our business has on the economy, environment and our society are of a prime concern and we will be developing and improving in all of these areas of impact including our most valuable resource, people.”
Sims Recycling Solutions’ UK operations are in Newport, Manchester, Ellesmere Port and Dumfries. The company has recently expanded its presence in the UK electronics recycling market with the acquisition of the business assets of Wincanton PLC’s recycling division, adding sites in Widnes, Harlow, Billingham and Daventry to its portfolio.
Sims has a major commitment to sustainability, earning a host of standards and awards globally – parent company Sims Metal Management Ltd was named one of the top 100 most sustainable corporations at the 2010 World Economic Forum. Meanwhile, in the UK, Sims has just achieved the Carbon Trust Standard.
Social Firms UK recently launched the Just Buy campaign to encourage everyone to scrutinise their supply chain in order to try and embed more social value in their purchasing decisions.
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Notes to Editors
Sims Recycling Solutions (www.simsrecycling.com) is a leading electrical and electronics recovery and recycling business with 42 sites globally and last year processed over 475,000 tonnes of electronic waste worldwide.
Sims Recycling Solutions’ enables businesses to unlock the value in their surplus computer hardware and media and communications equipment. Its ICT Asset Recovery service allows businesses and public sector organisations to sustain the value of IT and electronic equipment in a legally compliant, data secure, fully traceable and environmentally sustainable manner. Meanwhile its materials recovery facilities can recycle all types of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, operating to the highest standards of Quality, the Environment and Health and Safety.
Social Firms UK is the national support agency for one type of social enterprise committed to employing people at greatest disadvantage in the labour market.
At least 25% of a Social Firm’s workforce is severely disadvantaged because, for example, they have a learning disability, mental health problem, a prison record or a history of homelessness or drug or alcohol misuse.
Social Firms are market-led companies that generate at least 50% of their income through trade, reinvesting their profits to create more jobs. Social Firms operate in a wide range of commercial sectors; see www.justbuy.org.uk for details. Since 1999 the number of Social Firms has increased from 5 to over 180 and collectively they now employ over 2,000 people, 51% of whom face major labour market disadvantage.
Social Firms UK has estimated that the sector helps to save over £40m a year in welfare benefits and around £8m in health care costs.