Forestry Commission Wales has scooped a major environmental award for the way it manages waste at its popular new visitor centre in Nant yr Arian, near Aberystwyth.
The prestigious Wales Business and Sustainability Awards recognised the efforts of 16 companies and organisations from all over Wales who have all demonstrated a commitment to take care of their environment and have realised benefits as a result. Andrew Davies, Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks, gave the opening address at the awards, which are supported by the Welsh Assembly Government, private and public sector sponsors and managed by ARENA Network, which provides support to organisations on environmental issues.
FC Wales won the "Sustainable Waste Management in the Public Sector" category and Gareth Roberts collected the trophy at Wrexham's Ramada Plaza from Jennifer Baxter of the Assembly's Waste Policy Branch and Strategy Unit, on October 12.
The Nant yr Arian centre caught the judges' eye for its ground-breaking sustainable features, which include a "living green roof", collection of rainwater which is re-used for flushing the toilets and for the bikewash, the use of recycled newspaper as insulation, a composting toilet system and a wood fuel heating system.
However, in addition to the centre's impressive environmental credentials, John Davies, an FC Wales staff member at Nant yr Arian, has a daily routine of collecting refuse from the bins around the site and then sorting out any materials that can be recycled, such as paper, tins, plastic bottles and cardboard, before taking them to the recycling centre. This considerably reduces waste collection costs and keeps a large volume of useful materials out of landfill, ultimately saving money for the ratepayers of Ceredigion.
The centre’s facilities include showers, a huge terrace overlooking the lake, a woodburning stove in the café/restaurant, more seating for customers, a new adventure playground and toddlers' playground and better interpretation and information on the forest’s features of interest.
The old visitor centre has been incorporated into the new centre to be used as an environmental classroom with plans to increase the focus on educational tourism. There is also a new and unusual triangular red kite viewing hide.
The Wales Business and Sustainability Awards are accredited as one of the six UK official feeder schemes for the European Business Awards for the Environment.