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Across AW Group we carry out a wide range of sustainable, environmental and community projects either near our HQ here in Folkestone or further afield where we carry out projects for a wide range of clients.

During 2022 we embarked on an ambitious plan to significantly reduce the amount of waste either generated or removed from works we undertook that could potentially end up in landfill.

The removal of skips at our yard and the replacement of dedicated waste bays for timber, rubble, metal and general waste has enabled us to identify materials that can be used on future projects or, due to the nature of their previous use, have an ideal placement to charities, schools, organisations and other areas within our local community.

And here we are at Global Recycling Day 2025 – We now have a huge network of people from all walks of life that we email weekly informing them of the waste streams at our yard and how to obtain them. By working with these communities, it has also helped us identify what we might perceive as waste, as practical items that others can use.

Recycling, upcycling and circular waste streams now account for a significant proportion of waste materials recovered from sites going to individuals and even nationwide charities. To say we have made many friends is an understatement, word of mouth from those that we have engaged with has seen more and more people contact us and help reduce our waste streams down significantly.

Our passion for recycling and diverting these much-needed resources to varying organisations has also helped us forge links with local education establishments who are teaching the trades people of tomorrow, often being unable to afford the quality of the materials that we supply under a national curriculum.

Sustainability talks at local schools, who operate close to the sites in which we work, or in areas where we are required to work have always gone down well, and we have seen children as young as 5 putting forward suggestions for recycling and even circular initiatives within their own peer groups or locations.

However, it is not just the waste streams that we look at, retired plant or other tooling that is used within the rail industry has been donated to rail training centres locally to our offices or heritage railway museums.

Here is just a snapshot of what we recycle and where it goes to.

• Timber – to schools, colleges, men’s sheds, community gardens, allotments, heritage centres, rail training centres, charities, food banks (premises), drop-in clubs, garden clubs, theatres, community groups, drop-in centres, SEN facilities, forest schools, our own staff and fellow stakeholders
• Bricks – schools, colleges, men’s sheds, drop-in centres, forest schools, wildlife centres, heritage centres, community gardens
• Corrugated Plastic Tubing – pre-schools, nurseries, wildlife centres, schools, allotments,
• Ezi-Clamp Rails and fittings – National Trust heritage sites, Railway heritage centre
• Paint –  schools, colleges, mens sheds, community gardens, allotments, heritage centres, rail training centres, charities, food banks (premises), kids’ clubs, garden clubs, theatres, community groups, kids’ centres, SEN facilities, forest schools, our own staff and fellow stakeholders
• Electrical/Plumbing – schools, colleges, heritage centres, charities, our own staff and fellow stakeholders, wildlife centres
• Scrap Metal – railway heritage centre, national trust heritage sites, colleges, schools
• Used Tonne Bags – allotments, community gardens
• Used Furniture – drop in centres
• Flooring – food banks, charities, heritage centres, kids clubs, schools, colleges
• Used Small Tools & Plant – heritage sites/museums

Want to know more? Then do please get in touch!

AW Group is a multi-disciplined construction company providing a broad range of support and manpower across building and rail projects.

Our Fields are:

AW Construction – We offer an outstanding UK-wide fit out service, taking care of everything from scheduling rollouts & ordering materials to assistance with design and onsite delivery

AW Rail – We use the very best labour force and a proactive approach to deliver first-class construction and maintenance projects across the rail industry

AW Labour – We provide a high-calibre blue collar and white-collar workforce with a diverse range of skills, to support the construction and rail industries