After a successful joint venture over 22 years, in January 2023 Changeworks sold its share of the award-winning waste and resource management company to Forbes Connor, Managing Director of Change Waste Recycling (Formerly Changeworks Recycling). This sale made Changeworks one of the first social enterprises in Scotland to lead the exit of a joint venture and make a profit.
Change Waste Recycling was founded in 2001 as a trading subsidiary of Changeworks. The aim was to increase business recycling at a time when there was no legal requirement for businesses to recycle their waste.
Change Waste Recycling has been instrumental in shaping business recycling in Scotland and driving better environmental outcomes. Its unique approach to source separated recycling has enabled over 2,500 businesses across Central Scotland to reduce waste, carbon and costs and achieve high quality recycling.
In the last ten years of the partnership alone, almost 30,000 tonnes of CO2e were saved and over 50,000 tonnes of material were recycled.
In 2022, Changeworks launched a strategy for 2022-25, with a renewed focus on accelerating the decarbonisation of Scotland’s homes to tackle the climate emergency.
The sale of Change Waste Recycling underlines this new strategic direction and allows Changeworks to channel its expertise and services to lower carbon emissions from Scotland’s homes to maximise its impact in tackling the climate emergency.