Commercial Waste Southwark Modern Slavery Statement
This Modern Slavery Statement sets out the commitment of Commercial Waste Southwark to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking across our operations and supply chain. We adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of forced labour, debt bondage, or human trafficking, and we publish this anti-slavery declaration to make our approach clear. The purpose of this commercial waste southwark anti-slavery policy is to explain the steps we take to identify, mitigate and prevent instances of exploitation, and to ensure that our modern slavery policy is embedded in everyday business practice.
Our organisation recognises that risks of exploitation can occur in different parts of the sector. As part of our Modern Slavery Statement commitments, we train staff who manage contracts, procurement and operations to spot the signs of exploitation. We maintain a zero-tolerance approach and require all employees and partners to adhere to the highest ethical standards. Breaches of the policy will lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or contract.
We require that all suppliers and contractors working with Commercial Waste Southwark sign our anti-slavery assurances and comply with our supplier code of conduct. Our supplier due diligence and auditing programme focuses on key risk areas and includes:
- document checks and verification of labour providers;
- on-site supplier audits and interviews with workers;
- contract clauses that allow for monitoring and termination where non-compliance is found.
Identification, Prevention and Supplier Audits
We carry out proportionate risk assessments across categories such as vehicle maintenance, waste handling, subcontracted labour and seasonal workforce hiring. Where risks are higher we deploy targeted supplier audits and request remediation plans. Our procurement teams use a combination of desk-based risk screening, contractual obligations and site visits to ensure compliance. We also use third-party audit providers for independent verification when necessary.
Key actions in our supplier audit programme include training for suppliers on ethical recruitment, checks on payroll and working hours, and verification that workers are free to leave employment. We maintain records of audit outcomes and require suppliers to implement improvements within agreed timescales. If a supplier fails to meet requirements and does not commit to change, we will terminate the business relationship in line with our no-tolerance stance.
Reporting channels are central to our detection strategy. Commercial Waste Southwark provides multiple safe and confidential ways for workers, contractors and others to raise concerns, including anonymous reporting options and internal whistleblowing procedures. We encourage anyone with information about potential slavery or trafficking to come forward. All reports are treated seriously and investigated promptly by our compliance team with appropriate confidentiality safeguards.
Governance, Review and Continuous Improvement
Our senior leadership and board have oversight of the company’s modern slavery response. We strongly believe that continuous improvement matters: our anti-slavery measures are reviewed annually, and this Modern Slavery Statement is updated to reflect lessons learned, audit findings and changes in legal or sector requirements. The annual review process includes assessing the effectiveness of our supplier audits, the usage and outcome of reporting channels, and the impact of training and policy changes.
We commit to publishing an updated anti-slavery statement each year and to embedding stronger safeguards across our operations. Our aim is to ensure that the principles in this anti-slavery statement are not only documented but actively enforced through procurement practices, contract management, and day-to-day supervision of waste services. By combining a clear zero-tolerance policy, proportionate supplier audits, accessible reporting channels and a formal annual review, Commercial Waste Southwark seeks to reduce the risk of modern slavery in the wider commercial waste sector.
