EnTRESS hosts event as part of the Black Country Business Festival 2019

The Black Country Environmental Challenge, hosted by EnTRESS, was held at Wolverhampton Racecourse on the afternoon of the 23rd May 2019, during the Black Country Business Festival (13 – 24 May 2019).

Wolverhampton Racecourse is owned by Arena Racing Company (ARC), the largest racecourse operator in the UK.  It is one of the busiest racecourses in the UK, boasting around 80 race meets per year thanks to its high performance, all weather, Tapeta track.  Wolverhampton Racecourse has been working with the EnTRESS and the University of Wolverhampton since late 2018. 

Wolverhampton Racecourse identified several environmental challenges on-site, including replacing 450 000 plastic cups and 62 000 paper cups a year with environmental friendly alternatives, removal of organic waste such as horse manure and bedding (185 tonnes a year), food waste and the retrofit of an 80ft greenhouse. 

The aim of this event was to show how Wolverhampton Racecourse plans to become more environmentally friendly by developing their environmental policy with the Reconomy, a waste management company and to network and build new relationships with suppliers and/or customers and help identify possible routes to market.

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) were invited to exhibit their green innovative solutions to the challenges Wolverhampton Racecourse presented.  Exhibitors included Green Eco Technologies Ltd, Biopac Ltd, Lodge Cottrell, Canal & River Trust, Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust, Urban Hax, Sustainability West Midlands, Clarkeprint Ltd and Reconomy.

Dr Paul Hampton, EnTRESS Project Director and Associate Head of the School of Architecture & Built Environment at the University of Wolverhampton, kicked off the afternoon with an introduction to EnTRESS and how the project can support SMEs in the Black Country area.  Professor Mohammed Arif, Head of the School of Architecture & Built Environment at the University of Wolverhampton, followed Dr Hampton with the vision for the new university of Wolverhampton Springfield Campus, with the first phase due to be completed by Spring-Summer 2020.

Wolverhampton Racecourses environmental challenges were presented by their General Manager, Tom Mills.  He described how they first got involved with EnTRESS and the support that the project provided in the lead up to the event.

Working with EnTRESS and other exhibitors at the event, Wolverhampton Racecourse discussed the changes they have already made or are in the process of making on-site.  These include; sourcing 100% recyclable coffee cups, closely monitoring waste and power on-site and developing land into a conservation area for flora and fauna.  They are currently trialling Green Eco Technologies WasteMaster on-site too.  This will hopefully reduce the volume of waste going to landfill and therefore costs, as it digests the horse manure and bedding from the stables and food waste from the kitchens and forms a usable end product.

Finally, before an afternoon of exhibitions and networking, the audience heard from Richard Burnes, Business Development Manager for Reconomy, a waste management company based just up the road in Telford.  Richard gave an overview on Reconomy and the changes they are looking to implement at the Racecourse and the new environmental policy they are developing together.

The afternoon finished with refreshments, networking and visits to see Green Eco Technologies WasteMaster working away down by the stables on-site.  Following on from this event, Wolverhampton Racecourse have developed a good relationship with the University and the EnTRESS team and are continuing their work in developing a greener environment on-site.