Global Award for Crisp Malt's Return-A-Bag Recycling Scheme

Crisp Malt's Return-a-Bag scheme has won a prestigious global award. RMI, which delivers insights into brewing, distilling, malting and raw materials supply chains across the world, has presented Crisp with its highly coveted Innovation Award for the scheme.

Until recently, brewers were sending almost all their used polypropylene and polyethylene bags to landfill. Now, for the first time, and as an industry first, thanks to Crisp's Return-a-Bag scheme, these sacks can be recycled. Already more than 5,000kg of them are being repurposed into useful household or garden items.

Ellie Wood, Crisp sustainability manager, said: "There were over 50 entries to the awards, with some fantastic initiatives from across the malting industry, so it was a real honour for our scheme to have been selected as a winner. Return-a-Bag solves a problem for brewers and distillers that has been a long-standing challenge for decades. The Award will raise awareness of the scheme and get more brewers and distillers on board with it. That will add to the waste-savings. The equivalent of over 60,000 25kg malt bags have so far been returned for processing and repurposing. The cumulative impact over time will be massive!"

Return-a-Bag is industry inclusive, with acceptance of empty bags not just from Crisp, but from all malt suppliers. Ellie believes this approach played an important part in the recognition of award judges.

WRAP reports that just 10% of the 142 million tonnes of plastic packaging produced each year is effectively recycled, with the remainder sent to landfill, incinerated or leaked directly into the environment. The kind of plastic used in malt sacks is not easily recycled – only specialist facilities can recycle and make it into secondary raw material.

Ellie added: "It's clear we need to work together to increase recycling of waste volumes. And we'd like to thank all our brewing and distilling customers who are currently doing just that by being part of Return-a-Bag."

The only cost to Crisp's customers is transportation. They can organise their own transport of empty sacks – of any size – to the waste aggregation facility near Swindon, or Crisp can organise transport on their behalf. Customers who aren't yet involved are referred to the step-by-step guide and stacking tips on the Crisp website to find out more.

Sam Wright from Howling Hops Brewery said of the scheme: "Very straightforward and easy for us. Collecting all of our empty malt sacks on a pallet and getting it shipped off is very straightforward. Amazing that the recycling is free as well! Great to reduce our physical waste footprint!"

There is full traceability of waste volumes received and processed, so breweries and distilleries can use the information in their annual reporting.

RMI commented: "Inspiring to see such impactful initiatives shaping a more sustainable, innovative, and collaborative future for the industry."

Notes to Editors

Sacks sent through the Return-A-Bag scheme are collected and grouped at an aggregation facility. They are then recycled by third-party certified processors, which Crisp Malt regularly audits, ensuring full traceability. The waste malt sacks are processed into secondary raw material and reintegrated back into supply chains, often as garden furniture, playground flooring, hard plastics, and more. This recycled material is used by manufacturers, replacing virgin plastics, ultimately reducing fossil fuel usage.

For more information:

Frances Brace, Red Flame Communications

Email: frances@redflamecommunications.co.uk | Tel: 07432 692309

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