Bromley’s The Glades Shopping Centre is celebrating after winning Silver in the International Green Apple Environment Awards.
The Centre, home to over 130 stores, cafés and restaurants, was recognised for its achievements in the Property & Estates Management category. These included increasing recycling, launching a public waste awareness campaign and attaining 100% diversion of waste from landfill.
The award, which was shared with the Centre’s waste services provider Grundon Waste Management, was presented to Lukasz Knap, Soft Services Manager at The Glades and Grundon’s James Luckett, at a special ceremony on Monday (17 November) at the Houses of Parliament in London.
At the heart of the programme’s success is a collaborative partnership between The Glades’ property management company JLL, together with Grundon and cleaning company Churchill.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded a Silver Green Apple award and very proud that all the innovative ideas we worked so hard to deliver have been recognised.”
Lukasz Knap
Soft Services Manager
The appointment of waste champions, the early adoption of specialist coffee cup recycling, and the implementation of a waste segregation programme to sort waste from public bins are among the initiatives which resonated with the judges.
Grundon also focused on helping The Glades achieve compliance with the Simpler Recycling legislation which came into force earlier this year. It mandates the need for businesses to adopt food waste segregation and recycling, and Grundon both provided training for staff at food outlets and upped the number of internal bins/food caddies required.
Alongside the waste management programme, The Glades team also focused on creating a positive community impact, looking at ways of enhancing its social value commitments within the local Bromley community.
Activities have included community litter-picking events organised by volunteers from both The Glades and Grundon; and a furniture reuse scheme which sees unwanted furniture from empty retail units repurposed for other areas. In addition, working with Bromley Mencap, The Glades was able to offer permanent work in the waste team for an individual who had previously faced barriers to employment.
Lukasz continues: “The waste management initiatives at The Glades Bromley Shopping Centre represent a comprehensive approach that goes beyond conventional sustainability practices in retail environments. By integrating dedicated waste segregation facilities, social employment opportunities, frontline staff engagement, cultural leadership, circular economy principles, and community outreach, we have created a multifaceted program that delivers environmental benefits while supporting our broader social and operational objectives.
“Our approach demonstrates that effective waste management in retail environments doesn’t require choosing between environmental responsibility and business performance – with innovation and commitment, these objectives can be mutually reinforcing. The Glades stands as proof that retail centres can lead environmental change while creating positive ripple effects throughout their communities and supply chains.”
James Luckett added: “Well done to Lukasz and all the teams who have contributed so much to the success which has been recognised today. We have been delighted to support The Glades throughout its waste management journey.
“Not only were all our waste targets achieved last year, they have continued to increase ever since and we are always looking for new and innovative ideas for the future. Above all, we have shown that by working together we can all deliver a successful waste management programme that benefits the whole community as well as meeting the environmental targets that are so important.”
James Luckett
Client Strategy Manager
The Green Apple Environment Awards were launched in 1994 by The Green Organisation to recognise, reward and promote environmental best practice around the world. The award programme has become well established as one of the most popular global environmental campaigns.