WONDER
Treading lightly and stamping out waste
We willtread lightly and stamp out waste
We aim to ‘reduce the amount of non-recycled waste by 10% a year for the next 10 years’.
We obtained waste data through a carbon audit process, which gave a baseline of 610 tonnes of non-recycled waste.
65% of this was from our visitor businesses with Pinewoods Holiday Park the largest producer, followed by the day visitor business and The Victoria.
Farming and conservation only account for 4% of the waste, with our farms generating the least.
Our target to achieve by 2030 is to get this down to 213 tonnes of non-recycled waste – an ambitious reduction of 65%.
How we are reducing non-recycled waste
We began with a waste audit – identifying the different waste streams across the estate and how this was being treated. We then had two aims:
1. To increase the amount of waste being recycled and
2. To find a solution which would take our food waste and compostable packaging and process it into compost.
Through working with a bespoke composting plant in Cambridgeshire (the only plant in the East of England) and a waste collection company, we were able to set up the first (and only) collection in Norfolk. This was only possible by other local businesses also supporting this solution.
In 2023, we composted over 70 tonnes of food waste and compostable packaging across our visitor businesses. This previously would have been treated as non-recycled waste.
We have streamlined contracts to ensure that all recycling waste is recycled and reused in the UK, rather than being exported. None of our non-recycled waste goes to landfill. Instead it’s taken to ‘waste to energy’ plants in the East of England where it is disposed of and generates renewable electricity.
Phasing out single-use plastic
Our ultimate aim is to reduce the amount of waste we generate in the first place.
Phasing out single-use plastics from our day to day business is an example of this.
Where possible, essential items have been replaced with recyclable or compostable alternatives so that the product is turned into another material and reused or repurposed.
For example, we’ve got rid of all single use water bottles/drinks bottles and replaced them with glass or cans which are easier to recycle. We’ve also removed items and encourage reuse by offering free water re-fills in our cafés and discounts for bringing reuseable cups.
In other scenarios we’ve removed the item altogether, such as the cellophane wrap on greetings cards or buying materials such as gravel in bulk.
Working with our suppliers, contractors and partners is key to our success – we like to inform, inspire and binfluence others!
We’re making progress across our different businesses for example, the Vic has reduced the non-recycled waste they generate by 50% since the baseline.
However, we still have lots of work to do. This year, our focus is on increasing separation on the touring site at Pinewoods Holiday Park, and communicating our waste goal better on Wells Beach.
We’re also on a mission to minimise use of general skips – instead prioritising reuse and encouraging separation of recycled materials.
Our projects to stamp out waste
Shopping sustainably
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We are committed to finding beautiful, practical or delicious products that don’t cost the earth.
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Bin bays and recycling stations
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Our new bin caddies promote waste separation across the estate.
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Creating more compost
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We are considering how we can generate our own compost on a large scale.
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Working with our contractors and suppliers
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We are working with our wedding and event suppliers to eradicate the use of skips. We’re looking at ways to improve waste on building sites.
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