Greene King is participating in a reusable bottle scheme, where glass bottles used in some of its pubs are returned to drinks producers for refilling.
The refillable bottle initiative which reuses beer, cider, spirits, wine and soft drinks bottles is being trialled in 22 pubs. Previously, glass bottles from the pubs had been recycled.
The project helps Greene King’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Its supply chain is working in partnership with Again, a returnable bottle infrastructure start-up business. Used glass bottles are collected from the pubs as part of Greene King’s existing delivery and collection transport system. They are then sorted and cleaned at Again’s CleanCell facility so that the bottles are ready for drinks producers to reuse and refill again.
This summer, the 22 Greene King pubs, which are all located across the North West of England, joined the trial scheme to return more glass bottles for reuse and refill. It is estimated that between 14,000 and 22,000 bottles per week will be collected from the 22 pubs, of which 27% will be reused immediately and 55% will be reused by the end of year.
In addition to the environmental benefit, it is good for pub teams, customers, and neighbours as the system uses a ‘tote bag’ collection method which means there will be no noisy emptying of glass bottle bins behind the bar, making it is easier, quieter and safer for pub teams to manage the recycling.
“Our partnership with Again shows how we can tap into emerging business’s innovative ways to help us and our suppliers reduce waste,” said Vance Fairman-Smith, Greene King’s supply chain director.
“Every glass bottle we can reuse through collection, then specialist cleaning and refilling, reduces waste and carbon emissions. We will continue to measure the success with this potential further roll out.”
