Closing the Loop – Zero Landfill and Advancing Circularity across all Waste Streams

The Challenge

Manufacturing at scale brings a variety of waste challenges:

• Contaminated or hazardous materials that lie outside conventional recycling systems.
• Electronic, packaging, and maintenance related waste that requires specialist handling.
• The need to offset growing recycling costs while maintaining environmental integrity.

Our commitments

To maintain zero landfill and actively reduce reliance on waste to energy by maximising the percentage of waste reused and recycled.

Our Approach

• Onsite segregation of materials such as metals, wood, plastics, contaminated wate, and aerosols for responsible offsite recycling by setting up an onsite recycling point.
• Engagement with certified waste partners for the treatment of complex materials such as WEEE and contaminated wate.
• External reuse of packaging materials: all usable and lightly damaged pallets, as well as all octabins, are sold on for reuse, generating revenue that helps offset other recycling costs where reuse and value recovery are not available.
• Internal performance monitoring to guide continuous improvement in diversion rates.
• Active pursuit of partnerships focused solely on increasing recycling capacity for all our generated waste streams.

Impact and Achievements

• Sustained 100% diversion from landfill for a number of years.
• Reduction in waste to energy reliance, driven by improved recycling outcomes.
• Revenue from reuse initiatives supports reinvestment in broader recycling improvements.
• Strong compliance with UK environmental standards.
• Lowering carbon emissions by using regionalised recycling partners where possible, shortening travel distance of our waste.

Looking Ahead: Scaling Circularity

Springvale is focused on continuing progress through:

• Strengthening relationships with recyclers to maximise material recovery from challenging waste streams.
• Education and training of our people to help segregate our waste streams to reduce cross contamination of recyclable materials ready for collection by our recycling partners.
• Reinvesting revenue from reuse and recycling rebates into improving recycling infrastructure and initiatives.
• Sourcing recycling partners with innovative solutions for difficult to recycle items to keep recycling rates high.
• Supporting wider industry efforts to raise the bar for circular and low carbon economies.

Conclusion

Although these materials do not flow back into our production, we believe that every waste stream has value. Whether through direct reuse, specialist recycling, or smart partnerships, Springvale is making every tonne count. By continually improving how we manage our waste, we are reducing environmental impact, reinforcing our zero to landfill legacy, reducing reliance of waste to energy and driving meaningful sustainability outcomes – one material stream at a time.