Binn Buzz Winter 22_23

Welcome to the Winter 2022/23 edition of the Binn Buzz.

We were delighted to once again be the main sponsor of November’s prestigious Business Star Awards hosted by the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce at Crieff Hydro. It was an especially poignant evening as my father John MacGregor was presented with the Outstanding Contribution Award. You can see him and some of the other winners (as well as a few other familiar Binn faces!) on pages 4 and 5.

We’re also pleased to highlight in this edition the hard work our Events Team has put in throughout the last year to provide sustainable waste management and recycling services to events and festivals across the length and breadth of Scotland - see where they travelled to on pages 6 and 7.

from the Chief Executive

Speaking of events, Binn Group has once again completed a busy year of providing waste and recycling services to a variety of prestigious R&A golf tournaments across Scotland and England. We also helped the R&A headquarters in St Andrews achieve zero waste to landfill. You can read more on page 10.

In other news I’m excited to report on an innovative trial we are working on in partnership with NHS Tayside which has the potential to capture thousands of tonnes of clinical plastics for recycling. Find out more on page 11.

On that note I’ll sign off by wishing all of our staff, customers, partners and friends a very happy and prosperous 2023.

Allan MacGregor CEO Binn Group

Celebrating

Hundreds of business people throughout Perthshire came together on Friday 25th November to celebrate innovation and success at this year’s prestigious Business Star Awards sponsored by Binn Group.

Perthshire Chamber’s glittering awards ceremony was back with a bang at Crieff Hydro to celebrate some of the area’s finest businesses and individuals.

Glencarse business Little Lies took the overall Perthshire Business of the Year title and Binn Group’s own local legend John MacGregor picked up an outstanding achievement award.

Hosted by broadcaster and journalist, Rona Dougall and speaker and local businessman, Andrew Scott, the evening saw 16 category awards handed out plus the Outstanding Achievement Award and the annual Perthshire Business of the Year Award.

Perthshire Chamber chief executive Vicki Unite said: “It was so great to see everyone again and to have the opportunity to celebrate the local successes.

“I am very grateful for the support of all our sponsors and supporters, particularly Binn Group, and all those who entered the awards and bought tickets, plus our stellar team who made it all happen on the night.

“There was a clear and consistent message throughout the night from our speakers and our businesses of supporting fellow, local businesses, helping - and looking out - for one another, our employees, teammates and communities and building each other up. A real passion for our businesses, our people and our area shone through - Perthshire is such a terrific place to live and work.”

Winners took home a unique, bespoke work of art in the form of a beautiful glass Star Award designed and created especially for the event, once again, by Caithness Glass and Dartington Crystal.

Binn Group Commercial Director Jim Brown presents the Commitment to the Environment Award (sponsored by Struans Perth) to Rae Peacock (L) and Craig Duncan (R) of Rae Peacock Hair and Beauty

Deputy First Minister John Swinney (L) presents Outstanding Contribution Award to John MacGregor

Perthshire Business of the Year Award winners Jade & Scott Robertson (R) of Little Lies receive their trophy from Perthshire Chamber of Commerce President Lori McGaffney and Alan MacGregor

Celebrating Innovation and Success at the Business Star Awards

presents the MacGregor (R)

Binn Group’s Managing Director Brian Harkins (R) and his wife Catriona (L)

(L-R): Jill Reekie, Catriona Harkins, Julia Wilby, John MacGregor, Mel Struth, Marissa Parker, Elizabeth Parker and Angie Morrison.

Another Busy Year for our Events Team

The Dandelion Festival in Inverness featured a free three-day spectacular of live music, performances, talks, workshops and food

Binn Group’s Events Team has had another busy year providing waste management and recycling support to events across Scotland, ranging from small community gatherings to leading national festivals.

The team has covered the length and breadth of the country, including the Dandelion Festival in Inverness, Brewdog’s Annual General Mayhem event in Aberdeen, and the Kiltwalk and Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh.

Closer to home the team have supported Otherlands festival at Scone Palace, Dundee Kiltwalk, Highland Games at Crieff and Pitlochry, Aberfeldy triathlon, Perth Show and the Scottish Vintage Tractor and Engine Club Farming Yesteryear and Vintage Rally.

As well as ensuring all waste produced on site is managed sustainably, the Events Team always go the extra mile to ensure each venue is returned to its pristine condition once the crowds go home.

Pitlochry Highland Games

Brewdog’s Annual General Mayhem event at Hazelhead Park in Aberdeen Farming Yesteryear Beltane Fire Festival

Edinburgh’s Kiltwalk

Just some of the places our Events Team has travelled to this year...

Congratulations to Rory Stewart (L) who has been voted the Scottish Squash Senior Player of the Year

Binn Group are proud to sponsor Strathmore Women’s Rugby Club player Sarah Donley

It was a double celebration for our Trade Waste Co-ordinator Brenda 60 (L) and celebrated her Ruby Wedding Anniversary with husband

Well done to driver Andy Pilgrim who helped Parathyroid UK by taking part in the Cannon

News and Updates

Binn Group are delighted to sponsor Chloe McNaughton who is in her second year of the Scottish Curling Future Leaders Programme

Brenda Bruce who turned husband Andy (R)

We’re delighted to welcome Tomasz Jeroslawski who joined our team as a Workshop Controller

helped raise money for Cannon Bald Run

Hole in One for Waste Management at the R&A

Binn Group has provided another year of outstanding sustainable waste management services to the prestigious R&A.

As the leading body within the world of golf, the R&A supports activities to ensure it is a thriving sport for all. Although based at the home of golf in St Andrews, the organisation stages tournaments across the world.

As well as providing waste and recycling services to the organisation’s headquarters in St Andrews, including the historic Clubhouse and World Golf Museum, Binn Group has

also met the waste management needs of a variety of prestigious R&A tournaments across the UK.

These include those held at Enville Golf Club in Stourbridge, Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club, Hunstanton Golf Club in Norfolk, Royal Dornoch Golf Club, as well as others closer to home in Monifieth, Carnoustie and Dundee.

With sustainability at the heart of all Binn Group’s operations, it’s fitting that zero waste collected from R&A sites is sent to landfill, with mixed recycling, food waste and glass being separated for reprocessing into new products.

The Swilcan Bridge and R&A Clubhouse at St Andrews Old Course

Recycling at tournaments

NHS Tayside, Binn Group and Pi Polymer Recycling have partnered to carry out an innovative plastics recycling trial across four different locations at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.

During the 6-week long trial staff working in theatres, the bowel screening laboratory, endoscopy and renal units were asked to separate out all clinical plastic items that had not been contaminated with blood or body fluids and place them in new green sacks for recycling.

All plastics collected were taken to Binn Group’s Ecopark near Perth, where Pi Polymer

Recycling sorted and analysed them to allow for the wider roll out of the scheme in due course.

As well as ensuring the capture of these valuable materials, the outputs from the project could help to support the delivery of NHS Scotland’s Climate Emergency & Sustainability Strategy 2022-2026.

Joyce Anderson, Operational Waste Manager for NHS Tayside said:

“The results from this trial have the potential to save the NHS a significant amount of money, as well as helping meet our

sustainability targets. It costs around £80 per tonne to dispose of waste placed in clinical waste bins, so the more materials we can remove from these to send for recycling, the less this will cost the NHS.”

John Ferguson, Director of Pi Polymer Recycling said:

“We were delighted to partner with NHS Tayside and Binn Group to run this exciting and innovative trial, which has the potential to capture thousands of tonnes of plastics per year if rolled out to the 300+ hospitals across Scotland.”

Driving Sustainability in the NHS

Binn Group and Pi Polymer Recycling’s innovative trial hopes to maximise the amount of clinical plastics recycled from NHS sites

Supporting the Perth & Kinross Foodbank

The spirit of giving was in the air just before Christmas when Binn Group held a staff lunch which collected donations for the local food bank.

Opened in 2013, the Perth and Kinross Foodbank gave out 3,424 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis last year, due largely to the shocking statistic that 1 in 5 of the UK population live below the poverty line.

Jane Burns from the Perth & Kinross Foodbank said: “There is a common misconception that foodbanks are abused however we partner with a wide range of care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers and police to identify people in crisis and issue them with a foodbank voucher.

“We don’t think anyone in our community should have to face

going hungry. That’s why we provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis.”

Binn Group staff were delighted to support such a good cause and hope that the people who received the donations of food were able to enjoy the Christmas period without worrying about not having enough to eat.

(L-R): Sarah McCann, Andy Hay, Jim Renton and Jacqui Stewart with donations for the foodbank.