EDWARDS RETURNS TO LEAD VERDANT

Sevenoaks, Kent, 31st January 2008 – Roger Edwards, former development director of municipal services specialist Verdant Group Plc, has been promoted to managing director with effect from 1st January. Verdant was purchased by Greenstar UK in November last year.

For the past year, Edwards had been managing director at Verdant’s subsidiary Waste Services (UK) Ltd in Southampton, as well as remaining on Verdant’s board. He replaces Verdant co-founder and managing director Simon Miles who has left the company to pursue other interests. Co-founder and former chairman Jon Miles continues as a non-executive director.

Edwards’ relationship with Verdant began in July 2002 when he joined Ecovert, the ailing municipal services provider bought by the Miles brothers in 2002. Re-engineered and rebranded as Verdant, the business flourished and today, Verdant provides waste, recycling, cleansing and grounds maintenance services for 20 local authorities in England and Wales.

Ian Wakelin, CEO of Greenstar UK, said: “Roger has been part and parcel of Verdant’s success, and I’m delighted that he will now lead the business forward as part of Greenstar UK. He and his dedicated staff will help Verdant fulfill a vital strategic role in Greenstar’s ambitions to provide complete, end-to-end waste and recycling services.”

About Verdant
Verdant Group Plc, part of the Greenstar UK group, provides waste collection, recycling and cleansing services for an expanding local authority customer base in England and Wales. It makes an estimated 20 million-plus waste and recycling collections annually on behalf of its 20 current local authority customers. Recent additions to its portfolio include a seven year waste, recycling and cleansing contract for Stratford-on-Avon District Council; seven year cleansing, waste and recycling contracts for Rother District Council and Swale Borough Council; a seven year recycling, refuse and cleansing contract for South Buckinghamshire District Council; and, as its first London borough contract, a six year waste collection and recycling service for Waltham Forest Council. During 2007, Verdant also started a six year management contract for seven of Kent County Council’s 12 household waste recycling centres. Other current local authority customers include Melton, Anglesey, Gosport, Mid Bedfordshire, South Bedfordshire, Bridgend, South Oxfordshire, Chiltern, Arun, Surrey Heath, Aylesbury Vale and Wycombe. The Verdant-operated Arun Green Waste Club won the Best Partnership Project category at the 2007 National Recycling Awards, and Verdant also won the Best Commitment to Health & Safety Practice category of the 2005 National Recycling Awards.

For further media information, contact:

Blair Drummond, Verdant PR consultant – tel (m) 07798 686 217, email blair.drummond@btopenworld.com