Andy Harrowell

Said the following about Area Champions for the Environment:

“Helping to increase recycling across Southern from 35% in 2009 to 80% in 2015, including turning East Croydon and Gatwick Airport into stations where no waste now goes to landfill, reducing non-traction electricity consumption by 25% in the same period, as well as carrying out audits and helping to change the culture of the organisation is a huge task for any team – especially when you are all volunteers!

The Area Champions for the Environment (ACEs) have done all the above and more, all on top of their day jobs! Since the introduction of the team six years ago they have gone from strength to strength and in the last year we have really seen the benefits of the group’s tireless efforts. From getting down and dirty, quite literally at East Croydon to work out how to separate the waste to recycle it, to engaging with suppliers, colleagues and speaking at a variety of events, the ACEs do it all. Their efforts were recently highlighted, when one of our external auditors said:

“We have been assessing the ISO 14001 environmental management system of Southern for over six years. The ACEs have helped to deliver the management system and to encourage all employees to consider the environmental impacts of their jobs. The environmental culture within Southern has improved with the aid of this work by the ACEs.”

Not content in just improving Southern eight out of the 43 individuals have studied professional environment qualifications in their own time and the group as a whole continue to prove their worth – not just improving us as a business, but ensuring that we support our local environment now and into the future.“