Tidy Businesses

Local businesses in south Sefton are being recognised for looking after the environment and disposing of their trade waste. Environmental officers have joined forces with ENCAMS, part of the Keep Britain Tidy Grroup, to launch the Tidy Business Awards. The awards aim to encourage and reward good environmental practice in local businesses and encourages them to implement initiatives for waste minimisation as well as improving the local environment.

Businesses who sign up to the awards are assessed and, if they are successful, are given an appropriate award;

• Bronze - businesses have a trade waste agreement and are disposing of their waste responsibly
• Silver - all bronze award criteria must be met and businesses must show they are reusing and recycling their waste in line with waste minimisation initiatives
• Gold - all bronze and silver award criteria must be met and businesses show positive contributions to the local community and local environment.

Businesses on the scheme are awarded a certificate and are reassessed each year to make sure they continue to follow satisfactory environmental practices.

Funding for the awards is being run through the Business Neighbourhood project as part of the Stepclever programme - a joint initiative between Sefton's Environmental Protection Department and Liverpool Enterprise.

Stepclever Environmental Enforcement Officer, John Sweeney said "as part of the Business Neighbourhoods project we want to officially reward businesses that have trade waste contracts and are recycling and improving the local environment. The Tidy Business Awards Scheme is a free initiative and so far ten businesses in south Sefton have joined the pilot scheme. Of these, two have received a Silver award and eight have received a Bronze award. Our intention now is to promote this to other businesses within the Stepclever area, which covers Linacre and Derby wards."

The ten businesses are;

• Annie's Cafe, Stanly Road, Bootle
• Aquarius, Irlam Road, Bootle
• Bootle Glass Co Ltd., Stanley Road, Bootle
• Genmac Surfacing Ltd., Canal Street, Bootle
• Helix Industrial Roofing Ltd., Berry Street, Bootle
• Irlam News, Irlam Road, Bootle
• Jack Hodson Ltd., Berry Street, Bootle
• Neil's Barber Shop, Stanley Road, Bootle
• Riaz Ali &  Sons Newsagents & General Store, Stanley Road, Bootle
• Skinner's Cooperage, Canal Street, Bootle