A DORSET-based organic recycling and renewable energy company said it has prevented more than 89,000 tonnes of CO2e from entering the atmosphere.

Amounting to the equivalent of more than 500 jumbo jets, Eco Sustainable Solutions diverted waste from landfill and converted it into products or green energy.

The family-run firm, which has sites in Christchurch, Weymouth, and Dorchester, revealed the findings in its 2022 Sustainability Report.

The report also revealed 52,667 tonnes of green waste recycled, while 35,050 tonnes of food waste had been recycled.

The business said a notable advancement in its sustainability mission included the construction of a new aggregate washing facility.

Completed in 2023, the new £2.5 million plant increases the amount of material Eco can recycle and will also displace 20,000 tonnes of primary aggregates annually.

Justin Dampney, managing director at Eco Sustainable Solutions, said: “This plant is a symbol of our dedication to our growth as a business and our unwavering commitment to always offering our customers and stakeholders more sustainable solutions.”

The company's other sustainability improvement initiatives include the promotion of electric vehicles through the introduction of a salary sacrifice scheme, which incentivises employees to convert to electric vehicles, as well as converting the existing fleet to electric.

All of which can be charged from Eco’s renewable energy assets- fuelled by Dorset's Waste.

The firm also said through creating wild havens for reptiles during hibernation around the company’s Eco Park site near Hurn, there had been sightings of all six of the UK’s native reptiles, which includes adders, smooth snakes, grass snakes, slow worms, common lizards, and sand lizards.

Jamie Williams, Eco’s Environment, health and safety manager, said: “At Eco, we put a huge amount of effort and care into ensuring that we not only benefit the local community through recycling waste, but we do it in a beneficial way to our immediate surroundings, demonstrated through our ongoing heathland restoration project which has helped significantly increase the biodiversity of the of the local area.”

Justin added: “This report summarises the huge amount of effort the team at Eco puts in to reduce the impact of Dorset's waste and to ensure that all our activities are as sustainable as possible, in every sense of the word.”