Awards, Accreditations & Memberships

We’re determined to see people with challenged backgrounds hold their heads high. Re-building their lives, working in good jobs, and welcome in a workplace that supports and respects their right to a second chance.

Operations at Recycling Lives deliver more than just environmental and economic impact – they create tangible, positive social impact, from the inside out.

Together with our commitment to the environment, caring for people and individuals in disadvantaged groups sits at the heart of everything we do at Recycling Lives. It forms the bedrock of our structural set-up and is fully embedded in day-to-day life. Experience has shown that by integrating our work with local communities, we’re ultimately creating a positive impact on society, helping to facilitate reduction in crime, and increasing cost savings on health & employment services.

So far we have been the recipient of four Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in Sustainable Development since 2010.

We’re currently in the process of expanding our social value programmes across the country.  Some examples of these programs are as follows:

• Released on Temporary License (ROTL): Together with our sister Recycling Lives Charity we work with those reaching the end of their prison sentence to be released on a temporary license. We support these groups into work across a growing number of UK locations providing a structure, training and support re-entering society.  This helps reduce re-offending, providing an invaluable second chance for men and women each year
• Disadvantaged individuals: as well as our support for those within and leaving the justice system, we work with veterans, people with mental illness, care leavers, and those at risk of entering the justice system, as well as a number of other disadvantaged groups, to help provide the right opportunities which will create stability and self-sufficiency in today’s world
• Community work: from offering training and work opportunities to local people who are unemployed, to fostering relationships with local schools and colleges, we work closely to help develop communities around our UK site network
• Employee welfare: we invest heavily in welfare support and training for our staff, at the same time as striving to improve diversity and making our company a rewarding place to work – it’s important to us that our own staff are well looked after.  It goes without saying, we are living wage employers.