As a company that’s dedicated to reconciling human progress with environmental protection, it’s quite the week for us when Volunteers’ Week and World Environment Day collide! Our dedicated teams across the country were out in force protecting our planet and showing off their Community Spirit.
Community Spirit & Environmental Responsibility at Veolia
Throughout the year, our colleagues across the country are making a real positive difference in the communities we serve every day, volunteering their time and energy to support local initiatives that benefit both people and the environment.
Starting on the first Monday in June and now in its 40th year, Volunteers’ Week is an opportunity to celebrate our colleagues’ invaluable contributions and of all the volunteers we work with. It’s also an occasion to inspire positive change and encourage others to get involved in a wonderful variety of activities.
Next up is World Environment Day, celebrated on the 5th June every year since 1972. The focus each year changes but the mission is always the same: to shine a spotlight on one of humanity’s greatest challenges and in 2025 we’re championing an end to plastic pollution.
Coastal Clean with Premier Marinas and Sea Angling Classic
We’ve been working with Premier Marinas since 2020, delivering Dry Mixed Recycling (DMR), glass, food and general waste services, along with the specialised handling of hazardous waste across Portsmouth and Newhaven, all part of our dedication to helping them foster sustainable waterside environments.
On Sunday 8th June, not only in celebration of Volunteers’ Week and World Environment Day but World Ocean Day too, we teamed up with Sea Angling Classic to extend our environmental stewardship to the coastline, joining forces with a small army of volunteers who marched from Portchester Castle to Trafalgar Wharf, picking up litter as we went.
Thanks to the commitment of over 90 volunteers, over 90kg of shoreline waste was cleared in just one afternoon!
Last year, the dedicated volunteers working with the Marine Conservation Society found an average of 170 items of litter for every 100 metres of our beaches here in the UK. That’s why it’s so essential that we pick up every piece of litter we find to prevent debris from washing back out to sea.
“We are proud to support this important initiative. As custodians of some of the most beautiful coastal locations, Premier Marinas is committed to making a positive impact on the wider environment. The coastal path near Premier Trafalgar Wharf is a cherished asset for the local community, and through our collaboration with Veolia and Sea Angling Classic, we have been able to engage both our colleagues and berth holders in this valuable activity.” Joseph Llewellyn, Marketing Manager at Premier Marinas
Tree Planting with the University Hospital of Leicester NHS Trust
Our Customer Excellence Team recently supported Leicester General Hospital, part of the University Hospital of Leicester NHS Trust who we’ve been working with since 2023, delivering essential waste management services.
The team helped the hospital plant around 1,860 trees of 14 different species, all part of the Trust’s dedication to creating more green spaces for service users, visitors and staff members.
Planting trees around healthcare facilities has a range of environmental benefits such as improving air quality, helping to regulate temperatures particularly in the warmer summer months and creating habitats for native wildlife.
The physical and mental benefits for the community around the hospital are also immense, with evidence indicating that access to nature and green space has a positive impact on stress, mood and self-esteem and even cardiovascular disease.
Teaming Up With Our Charity Partner, Shelter
Earlier this year we welcomed our new charity partner, Shelter and over the next three years, we’ll be working side by side to combat homelessness and housing insecurity in the UK.
Throughout June, our Human Resources heroes volunteered at Shelter’s upcycling workshops in their Erdington hub in Birmingham, helping to create bespoke pieces from donated furniture that can be resold.
Furniture donations to charity shops provide a range of benefits including:
- A free way for residents to clear out unwanted furniture that they no longer need, want or have room for, especially during a move.
- Saving valuable materials and good quality items from going to waste and extending their lifecycle.
- Serving as a significant source of funding for charities who can resell them.
- Providing an accessible way for others to furnish a home through the lower prices of second hand furniture.
The Shelter shop in Erdington does more than just re-sell good quality furniture though. Thanks to Brian Jones, the Upcycling Workshop Manager, who was once a collection driver for the charity, they can also take in items that are a little worse for wear.
The Veolia team were encouraged to let their creativity flow in this unique workshop that lovingly restores and reinvents the donations, constantly thinking of inventive ways to help old furniture find a new home.
“The convergence of Volunteers’ Week and World Environment Day has been a powerful opportunity to demonstrate our values in action and bring together passionate volunteers who transform communities through action.
“These initiatives reflect our fundamental belief that sustainable progress happens when businesses, communities, and individuals work together with a shared purpose. Every piece of litter collected and every tree planted represents our commitment to creating a more sustainable future for the communities we serve.”
Maddie Hall, Head of Sustainability at Veolia