Greene King
Reverse Logistics Recycling Enhancements
To increase efficiency in the existing reverse logistics model to improve recyclate quality, quantity and segregation.
Greene King pubs, hotels and restaurants currently backhaul all recycling through the GXO food service network. These current materials include food, used cooking oil, plastic, metals and card/ paper.
The project undertaken aimed to further enhance the reverse logistics model to improve the quality of recycling returns The project aim was to further enhance the reverse logistics model implemented within Greene King, by improving the quality of recycling returns and by identifying opportunities to implement higher stages of the waste hierarchy. There was a particular focus on re-use to eliminate single use packaging. Main outcomes from the project are as follows:
- Implementation of a closed loop solution for plastic produce packaging trays which are sent back from pubs, collated centrally and then collected by the supplier for reuse.
- Improved the quality of plastic returns
- Introduced a pilot scheme to segregate various plastic types at the central consolidation centre to improve recycling processes. We worked with waste management partner SWRNewstar.
Greene King has invested in its fleet and pub resources. This includes rainbow bins and training to ensure that segregation of recyclable materials is embedded into the culture and behaviour of team members to support the backhaul model. This solution means that Greene King has full visibility of all its recycled materials and was the foundation of achieving the Carbon Trust’s certified Zero Waste to Landfill accreditation, the first pub company to do so in 2020.
