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St Austell Brewery To Reduce It's Pub Waste By 80%


St Austell Brewery has launched an ambitious recycling initiative to reduce the general waste in its managed pubs by 80%. The new initiative, in partnership with leading waste management company, Biffa, includes the introduction of a streamlined waste system across St Austell Brewery’s 45 managed pubs.


Teams across the company’s South West pub estate are aiming to double the amount of waste being recycled as part of the plan, with a goal of hitting the 80% target by the end of this year. From educating and engaging colleagues on correct recycling, through to minimising food waste, St Austell Brewery is aiming to reduce its environmental footprint whilst also rewarding teams for hitting their targets.


All of St Austell Brewery’s managed pubs now have colour-coded bins which are divided into three sections:


  • dry mixed recycling for tins, cans, paper, dry cardboard, foil, magazines, plastic containers and metal lids

  • food waste for tea bags, coffee grounds, bones and uneaten food

  • general waste for anything else

 

In addition to making waste segregation easier, St Austell Brewery is rolling out a supporting employee encouragement plan to help drive engagement and participation. This includes a leaderboard for pubs, where the team with the highest reduction in waste overall will be rewarded with online vouchers to spend every quarter.


Helen Sprason, Area Manager and member of the Sustainability Steering Committee at St Austell Brewery, said:

“One of the first things we did when we started the project was to engage our pub teams about proper recycling. For some team members this involved a trip to Biffa’s Redruth MRF (Mixed Recycling Facility) to get a first-hand look at the importance of thorough recycling."

"We recognise that given our scale we have a huge opportunity to really make a difference. Last year, we successfully reduced total waste in our managed pub estate by 40%, and we are now aiming for an even greater impact. We’re confident this is one of the biggest waste management schemes to be undertaken by a pub company.”


Emily Coon, Sustainability Manager at St Austell Brewery, said:

“Reducing general waste by 80% is a bold target, but through our partnership with Biffa and a steadfast commitment to proper waste segregation, the initiative is already making a big difference.”

Emily added: “We’re excited about how we can scale the waste management scheme in the future. The goal is to create a culture of sustainability, where colleagues feel confident and engaged in the process of reducing and recycling waste. Whilst we are committed to minimising food waste across our business, where surplus does occur, we’re proud to partner with Olio. Powered through an app, this relationship ensures that good food is shared with local communities rather than going to waste.”


Following the launch of the new waste scheme in the managed pubs, the company is now planning to extend it across its two breweries (St Austell and Hare, near Bath) and its head office and depots across the South West.


Since the launch of the general waste reduction campaign in 2025, St Austell Brewery has seen encouraging progress across its managed pubs, with average reductions ranging from 5% to 15%. Leading the way is Haveners in Fowey, which has shown exceptional improvement. At the start of the year, general waste made up 46% of their total waste, but they've impressively reduced that figure to just 10.82%. This marks a remarkable 36% reduction at a single site - an achievement that sets a strong example.


Biffa, which has waste deposits across the South West, will undertake regular audits to track the success of St Austell Brewery’s initiative; this data will provide valuable insights into where improvements can continue to be made.


Paul Tregunna, Account Director for Biffa’s Cornwall head office, said:

“This is a substantial undertaking, particularly in the hospitality sector, and we are proud to be supporting St Austell Brewery with this important initiative. We look forward to fully supporting the company’s ambitious efforts to improve sustainability and waste management across all of its managed pub estate.”

Last year, St Austell Brewery released its first impact report, demonstrating the family-owned business’ commitment to sustainability and its efforts to have a positive impact on people and the planet.


With more than 160 pubs across the South West, two breweries, a drinks wholesale business and six distribution centres, St Austell Brewery is one of the region's largest private businesses.


Sustainability has long been at the heart of St Austell Brewery’s mission. Since 2002, the company has partnered with Cornish farmers to source local barley, minimising food miles by building a strong South West supply chain and supporting local businesses.


Over the last three years, the business has undertaken initiatives aimed at tackling its carbon footprint, including reducing emissions from the drays which transport beer across the country by updating the lorries to Euro 6 engines, and its partnership with a food waste platform to redistribute leftover food from managed pubs to local communities.


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East Staffordshire men’s community group is celebrating the next step in building a toolkit to tackle loneliness and isolation, thanks to support from JCB.


Rocester and District Men’s Shed has taken delivery of £500 worth of tools to enable members to practise DIY and woodworking skills at their weekly get-togethers. The group’s ten members travel from Ashbourne, Uttoxeter, Stramshall and Denstone, to meet each Wednesday morning for cuppas, chats and making and mending sessions.


The Men’s Shed movement is an international organisation founded in Australia to bring men together for making and repairing goods, but mainly for companionship – whether they are retired, unemployed or have disabilities.


Founder and chairman of Rocester and District Men’s Shed, Ian Roberts said:

"As churchwarden at St Michael’s Church in Rocester my job was to strengthen relationships with the community, and I heard about the Men’s Shed movement."

"While there are lots of clubs and groups for women to meet, there was nothing specifically for men to overcome issues of loneliness and isolation - especially in retirement - so in June last year we set up the Men’s Shed in a portable cabin on land behind Rocester Village Hall.”


Ian, who took early retirement from JCB ten years ago, but continues to work as a tour guide at The Story of JCB, added: “Up to now members have had to bring along their own tools, but the JCB donation has enabled us to begin equipping the shed with items that everyone can use; we now have a table saw, mitre saw, and variety of hand saws and drill bits."


“We are extremely grateful to JCB for their support, and this donation will enable us to grow, welcome more members and really make a difference to the lives of local people in building that sense of community and combatting loneliness.”




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