Equipment, Expertise and Engagement all Under One Roof at RWM 2017

RWM 2017 – which took place from 12-14 September at Birmingham’s NEC in partnership with the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) – certainly lived up to its promise to be more than just a trade show.

Over 450 companies from across the Energy, Waste, Recycling and Water sectors exhibited at the show which also presented numerous new features, including a Pitch & Pint crazy golf course area for relaxed networking. More formal networking opportunities were to be found through the RWM Connects service; over 800 meetings were booked in advance for the three-day show.

“The RWM exhibition is easily the biggest waste management show in the UK, pretty much a one-stop show for the industry. You’ve got to come!” said Daniel Egner, Recycling Operations Manager, Ward Recycling. “There’s no other show that offers the range of audiences that we can reach in a handy three-day package” added Nick Cliffe, Innovation Lead, Innovate UK.

To help demonstrate the new developments in the industry, RWM17 introduced an exciting new area called Innovation City – sponsored by Innovate UK – which highlighted a range of new products and services. Innovation City exhibitor Nikki Bainbridge of EHS Data said, "We've engaged with lots of people and are already talking about coming back next year." RWM also featured its first ever Hackathon. This showcased innovative ideas that use mobile technology, smart data and the Internet of Things to deliver solutions for improving circularity. This was won by the B2C, C2C online marketplace Tryatec following the final presentations live at RWM.

RWM is the place to get deals done too. For example Johnston Sweepers and Dawsonrentals sold the first Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) sweeper to a major city council looking to move away from its reliance on diesel vehicles. Capital Compactors and Balers delivered one of its machines straight from the show to a customer. Warren Freimanis, UK Commercial Manager, N+P Group B.V said, “It’s important to be here, a lot of our new business comes from clients we’ve never met before that just turn up to this event.”

There were also a host of new products launched at the show including Green Eco Technologies latest WasteMaster machine which offers innovative on-site continuous food waste processing.

RWM is a hub of expertise and the extensive and varied seminar programme was at the heart of the show once again. Contributors across the different theatres included WRAP, Marks & Spencer, the Environment Agency and Centrica.

The show is also a great place for promoting debate and a number of reports were launched at the show to take advantage of the diverse audience in attendance. These included one from Suez Recycling & Recovery UK ‘Mind the gap 2’ – looking at the need to concentrate on residual waste capacity in the UK – and Ricardo Energy & Environment’s ‘Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things: Future opportunities for the energy sector’.

The umbrella concept to RWM 2017 is its One Planet Living mission, and the only way that we are going to truly optimise and sustainably manage the world’s resources is to embrace our increasingly interconnected world. This year, the show brought together the recycling and waste management, energy, water and renewables industries together in a single show for the first time to reflect the growing collaboration and overlap between these important sectors.

This One Planet Living message was certainly taken to heart by M6 Vehicle Hire which is working with the Donor Family Network to increase awareness and encourage people to have conversations about organ donation – perhaps the ultimate in recycling. M6 has branded its waste vehicles with a pro-organ donation message and is hoping other waste and recycling businesses will support the campaign and do the same.

Meanwhile, the Ride & Drive Outdoor area demonstration zone provided the opportunity for anyone interested in expanding their fleet to get behind the controls of the latest equipment to find out how they can improve fleet efficiency and productivity.

Xavier Hodgetts, Account Director, Adtrak, said, “The reason we decided to come back is because it’s the best place to get involved and amongst the people in the Waste & Recycling industry. This is the place to be if you want to meet new customers.”

Nicola Meadows, RWM event director, Ascential, said, “Our industry faces constant challenges and we’re extremely proud of the way that RWM brings our community together to share experiences, identify opportunities and really make a difference.

“We are able to attract quality exhibitors, speakers and visitors because we are passionate about providing the industry with a voice. We have begun to evolve the show, including a new look and feel this year, to ensure RWM continues to play a key role in collaboration and development within the sector. We already have great plans for next year and can’t wait to get started.”