The Cornerhouse is up for a National award

Nottingham’s premier leisure and entertainment complex, The Cornerhouse in Nottingham, is through to the final of a prestigious national award for its work in recycling 670 tons of rubbish including food waste, glass, paper, cardboard and plastic.The attraction has been shortlisted for the Retail/Service Sector Recycler of the Year in the National Recycling Awards.

It beat off a record number of entries to make the shortlist after figures show in 2013 it has recycled things like 281,630 kg of food waste, 85,940 kg of cardboard, 227,480 kg of plastics, paper and cans and 16,708 kg timber.

The Cornerhouse also sends zero waste to landfill, has revolutionised its refuse handling function and now employs five part time staff to manage the function.

Suzanne Green, centre manager at The Cornerhouse said: “We’re delighted to have made the shortlist as we’ve worked incredibly hard over the last year to improve our waste management and recycling.

“As food waste makes up the majority of our waste we have introduced our food recycling initiative which involves us working with our tenants to give them training and the equipment they need to separate food from general rubbish.

Suzanne went on to say: “In 2013 we collected 281 tonnes of food waste and sent it to biomass at a strawberry farm with the methane providing heating for the poly tunnels and the slurry being turned into fertilizer for the strawberry plants.”

The Cornerhouse is up against tough competitions for the award including the likes of John Lewis Partnership, M&S and Bluewater. The winner will be revealed at a ceremony in July.

Suzanne added: “Our customers visit us for the choice and variety we offer under one roof but if we can offer them film, food and fun at the same time as doing our bit for the environment, then we are all winners.”