In 2007, the total waste we generated decreased to 18,877 tonnes (2006: 19,719 tonnes) and the amount we recycled increased to 16,672 tonnes (2006: 12,622 tonnes). This is a significant achievement and one we are committed to continuing, as we work to eliminate waste from the business.

Our efforts in Sri Lanka led to 26,478 kg of waste paper being recycled in 2007 and RAC subsidiary company Auto Windscreens recycled more than 7,300 tonnes of glass. The proportion of waste recycled increased from 64% to 88% in the UK, where we have recycling schemes for 14 different types of waste.

Our successful ‘binless office’ concept is being rolled out to other businesses, including Aviva Australia and Morley, which also introduced initiatives ranging from reusing disposable coffee trays to recycling mobile phones. Such efforts were recognised by others, including the City of London Corporation’s Clean City Awards Scheme (see the Clean City Awards case study).

Case study

Paper Tree Foundation

As part of a new partnership with Copacul de Hartie (‘The Paper Tree’), a non-governmental organisation, Aviva Romania introduced paper only bins that were collected by Paper Tree volunteers for recycling. The money raised is used to plant trees across Bucharest. In the eight months since the project was launched, more than 330 companies and 60 individuals have provided 140,000 kg of paper and 17,000 kg of cardboard for recycling, and 1,120 young trees have been planted in Bucharest. For more information, see www.copaculdehartie.ro