Greene King’s Collaborative Reuse, Refurbish, Repurpose & Recycle Drive Has Positive Impact

A drive to reuse, refurbish, repurpose or recycle pub kitchen equipment has resulted in positive financial and environmental impacts for Greene King.

Greene King, the country’s leading pub company and brewer, is working in collaboration with contractors and suppliers to reinforce the value of sustainability during pub investments and maintenance projects.

Greene King’s property and maintenance team is trialling a complete end-to-end circular economy solution this year to ensure surplus kitchen equipment is reused, refurbished or repurposed before being recycled. Equipment is cleaned, tested and repaired as necessary.

One trial processed and repurposed just over 7,000kg of redundant pub kitchen equipment. There have also been savings of over £418,000 to date through the reuse of cooking, refrigeration and wash ware items compared to the costs of buying new equipment, with over £54,000 saved in October alone.

As part of Greene King’s ongoing sustainability work and decarbonisation journey, trials and new ways of working provide the opportunity to re-assess the way the business operates to see if there are more beneficial solutions both financially and environmentally.

A programme of asset tagging across the 1,600-strong managed pub estate ensures there is up-to-date, real-time information on equipment location and age which helps manage equipment when it’s nearing the end of its prime effectiveness.

Thanks to the asset tagging data in tandem with Internet of Things technology, which monitors the usage and status of kitchen equipment, Greene King has a ‘live’ view of equipment. It can see potential problems with equipment, sometimes before they happen, meaning the ‘fixed first time’ rate has improved as engineers are aware of which part is causing the problem – improving usage, efficiency and effectiveness and reducing repeat repair visits. It means less impact on pub teams as kitchens remain fully functioning and operational.

Where possible, refurbished equipment is redeployed within the Greene King estate. Items are held in stock for operational call-off and if not redeployed, suitable working units have been released for resale by auction which has generated income.

Any remaining items are recycled or disposed of responsibly via accredited waste partners, with certification. This means there is more accurate data on materials being recycled to assess the environmental impact from disposal of kitchen equipment.

Greene King’s property services director, Paul Garland, said: “It is encouraging to see the positive impact our work is having in engaging and collaborating with suppliers and contractors on our sustainability journey, supporting a circular economy to help reduce environmental impact. We have been changing the ways we manage kitchen equipment when it is removed from a pub to see if it can be installed in another kitchen, put up for auction or recycled. With improved processes such as asset tagging, reporting and certified disposal routes, it is improving our waste diversion rates, improving traceability and supporting our net zero journey. It’s making good business sense both financially and environmentally.”

The work is part of Greene King for Good’s sustainability programme which is embedding across all parts of the business and day-to-day pub operations. The business is continuing to engage suppliers and contractors, trial new initiatives and share best practice.

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NOTES TO EDITORS 

Greene King is the country’s leading pub company and brewer with c.2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland. 

At Greene King we are passionate about delivering our purpose to ‘pour happiness into lives’. That’s for our customers, our team, our pub partners, our suppliers and the communities in which we live, operate and serve. Founded in 1799 with offices in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk and Burton on Trent in Staffordshire we employ around 40,000 people across the group with three divisions: Greene King pubs, Destination Brands & Ventures, and Brewing & Brands.  

• Greene King pubs: Greene King pubs is our mainstream pub brand located where people and communities come together; pubs enjoyed in cities, towns and villages throughout the country with clear ambition to be “The Nation’s Most Loved Pub Brand”. Pub Partners runs our tenanted and leased pubs business and Hive and Nest franchise pubs.  

• Destination Brands & Ventures: Destination Brands is a portfolio of distinct brands which includes Hungry Horse, Chef & Brewer, Farmhouse Inns and Flaming Grill that bring friends and family together, delivering great service, quality and value for money for a range of eating out and drinking occasions. Venture includes Hickory’s, Premium (Crafted Pubs & Metropolitan Pub Company) and Hotels which operate autonomously of Greene King’s managed pub brands.    

• Brewing & Brands covers the brewing sides of the business. Quality ales are brewed at the Westgate brewery in Bury St Edmunds and the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar. Our industry-leading portfolio includes Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, Ice Breaker and Belhaven Best and our premium beers, Level Head and Flint Eye, brewed for the modern-day drinker.

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