Marston’s achieves ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ goal

Marston’s has announced it is now operating ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ across its Breweries and Pubs in the UK. The announcement comes as part of the company wide investment into helping to create sustainable solutions across the business.

The pub group, which operates an estate of over 1,600 pubs have confirmed that 100% of the estate, including all of its managed houses and taverns are now operating as Zero to Waste Landfill – a hospitality industry first that has been met two years before the company’s 2020 target.

Under the guidance of the 3-strong energy team comprising of Andy Kershaw, head of group facilities, Chris White, energy manager and Jon Davies, waste and recycling co-ordinator, the team recognised an industry need for more sustainable solutions as a major pub co in the hospitality sector; an industry that creates over 60,000 tonnes of waste a year. Since 2016, the team, on behalf of Marston’s, have been working in partnership with UKWSL (UK Waste Solutions LTD) to help implement innovative sustainability solutions that have both long term environmental and financial benefits to operations.

In line with recognised environmental standards for Zero Waste to Landfill, Marston’s set the goal of achieving a 99% diversion rate across the bussiness1. As a group, 99.5% of generated waste is now being diverted from landfill.

With an average 60,000 tonnes of waste per annum across its estate, including everything from food waste to cardboard and plastics; Marston’s worked on executing a ‘Resource and Waste Management Action Plan’ (RWMP) across their pub estate in 2016 recognising an opportunity to be more efficient and sustainable in an approach to waste management. Within the first 9 months of RWMP, Marston’s was able to increase its average recycling rate from 60% to 73% and have gone on to systematically change its management culture down to operations further improving its overall recycling rate to 77%.

UKWSL’s Managing Director, Max Kanda, said: “Marston’s vision and commitment to developing a more sustainable business model has helped position them at the forefront of the hospitality sector. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with their team in order to change attitudes from waste to resources and develop increasingly circular solutions for these materials, which optimise both their commercial and environmental value.”

Andy Kershaw added: “We have been the first to action a number of initiatives which have been through exhaustive testing and are now active across several areas of the business. From plastics, to energy, to carbon footprint, Marston’s, with the help of our partners are helping to place Marston’s as an industry leading sustainable company in the hospitality sector.”

“Working alongside some key figures in environment and sustainability, we have continued to develop ideas and trials that have allowed us to be ahead of some of our targets, these initial trials, some of which have been in development for 12-24 months have allowed us to start rolling out some industry firsts for not only a Pub Co Group but also as a PLC.”

The partnership between Marston’s and UKWSL is part of a wider drive for sustainability solutions across the business. As part of the Energy teams work within Marston’s PLC, the team have also been driving innovative developments2 in –

• Circular Economy – using plastics destined for landfill in fencing, decking and garden furniture
• Reducing plastic waste across sites – including developing ‘first to use’ bio-degradable non-plastic straws
• Water efficiency – Marston’s operate self-supply licence to provide water to its pubs and breweries
• Cardboard recycling – including installing balers to improve segregation and quality of cardboard and reduce collections
• Energy efficiency – 100% LED lighting in all new build pubs and all internal lighting in existing sites
• Environmental training – for all employees as part of wider training development

On top of the success of Marston’s operating at zero waste to landfill, Chris White, energy manager for Marston’s has been named in the exclusive EDIE’s Top 100 Energy Leaders*. A group that celebrates the best in-house energy managers, the collaborative group host conferences, talks and share insights and developments to set standards for energy efficiency across UK businesses.

Chris said: “To be named as one of the Top 100 Energy leaders not only in the hospitality sector but across all industries is amazing. The team and I have made some big changes for Marston’s that have demonstrated innovation and business leadership for our industry, so I am really proud that the work has been recognised by key figures and EDIE.”