Icon Water wins Banksia awards for sustainability

Icon Water has been recognised for our ongoing commitment to sustainability with receipt of the Banksia Foundation’s 2020 Large Business Award and the overall Gold Award. 

The annual Banksia Sustainability Awards offer the opportunity for Australian businesses to showcase their premier conservation efforts. Icon Water is proud to participate in an event that brings attention to one of Australia’s most pressing issues. 

“Icon Water has three sustainability principles: enrich our neighbourhood, respect resources and care for tomorrow. We feel the Banksia Foundation’s efforts to address the impacts of climate change really connect with these principles” said Ben Bryant, Icon Water Manager Environment and Sustainability. 

Icon Water is firm in the belief that we all have a responsibility to take serious steps towards long-term sustainability. That’s why we’ve adopted the UN’s Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). 

“We recognise the significant role Icon Water plays in achieving the sixth development goal, the provision of clean water and sanitation.”

“The Banksia Awards have offered us the opportunity to show that our sustainability goals extend beyond water. We’re committed to responsible consumption and production and we’re really proud of our No Opportunity Wasted Program, which was at the heart of our submission for the Banksia Award” said Mr Bryant.  

A collaboration with several local businesses, the ‘No Opportunity Wasted Program’, consists of eight resource recovery initiatives which target varying opportunities for the reuse and recycling of items that would otherwise be considered waste. 

“This program has been the driving force for Icon Water to make several critical changes to how we approach sustainability within the organisation for community, environmental and economic benefits in our region.”

“We’ve managed to keep 16 tonnes of Agri-Ash out of landfills each day. We also targeted Spoil, the waste material from excavations or mining, and achieved 100% reuse. Perhaps the biggest initiative was creating Biochar as an alternative to existing heat treatment systems.”

“Icon Water’s vision is to create a utility that transforms waste into resources. We’re well on the way to making this a reality” said Mr Bryant.

Icon Water is proud of the work our people have accomplished together with like-minded local businesses including Fertspread, Corkhill Bros, Re.Group, ACT NoWaste, Yass Earth Movers, Snowy Monaro Regional Council and more. Not only in the ‘No Opportunity Wasted’ program but across all our conservation initiatives.

Every effort is taken to preserve, or restore, Australia’s unique ecosystems while we also remain committed to supplying quality water and wastewater services to the Canberra community. Icon Water will strive to embrace further measures for environmental protection in pursuit of our core purpose: sustain and enhance quality of life.

Find out more about Icon Water’s sustainability initiatives by visiting iconwater.com.au/sustainability.