Closing the Waste Loop: Q&S Ltd named winner of an International Green Apple Environment Award 2026

The recognition is for a first-of-its-kind green waste composting partnership with Recorra across the City of London – Circular Horticulture Through Partnership: Closing the Green Waste Loop - replacing an inefficient diesel collection round with a dedicated low-carbon route that has composted 102,672kg of green waste since April 2024, achieving net avoided emissions of over 60 tonnes of CO2e.  Not bad for a vanload of green clippings.

This passionate group of gardeners maintain commercial green spaces organically via sustainable and biodiversity friendly practices, working 100% chemical and fossil fuel free. 

Everything is done deliberately by hand, with organic fertilisers, biological controls, hand tools and battery-powered machinery.  They build habitats from upcycled materials on-site, encourage native planting and complementary species, quietly supporting and tracking the return of birds, pollinators and wildlife to green spaces in London and beyond, aligning with their clients’ and borough Nature Action mandates.  

Q&S’s Managing Director and Education Ambassador for Pollinating London Together, Sue Payne, said,

“We’re thrilled to have won a Green Apple, proud to be alongside the world’s leading examples of environmental best practice. Green waste is a useful resource and we’re now working towards it doing double-duty, bringing that compost back to the very sites it came from.”