Reconomy partner with Serco

From multiple providers to zero waste to landfill

Reconomy Connect, a Reconomy specialist brand, partnered with Serco to consolidate a fragmented, multi-provider waste operation into a single, fully managed solution across more than 55 sites, including secure and sensitive environments.

By identifying and separating over 15 waste streams, introducing new technology, and meeting Serco’s strict security protocols, Reconomy Connect helped the business reach 100% diversion of waste from landfill while cutting costs and improving recycling rates.

• Problem: Serco was working with multiple service providers across its UK sites, making costs and recycling rates difficult to control, while rising environmental performance demands and new legislation raised the stakes.
• Solution: Reconomy Connect provided an all-inclusive, one-stop-shop waste management service across Serco’s sites, identifying over 15 waste streams, introducing new technology, and applying strict driver and staff vetting to meet Serco’s security requirements.
• Result: 100% diversion of waste from landfill, food waste reduced by approximately 35% through a new de-watering system, alongside significant cost savings and improved recycling rates.

Key results

• Over 15 waste streams identified: Reconomy Connect identified an excess of 15 waste streams across all sites, with more identified as new sites are taken on.
• 100% diversion of waste from landfill: Serco sites working with Reconomy Connect achieved an incredible 100% diversion of waste from landfill.
• Food waste reduced by 35%: a new de-watering system represented a major change across Serco’s sites, reducing the volume of food waste by approximately 35%.

About Serco

Serco is an international service company operating across a wide range of sectors. Before working in partnership with Reconomy Connect, Serco was using multiple service providers across the UK to manage its waste streams, making costs and recycling rates difficult to control. With operations spread across many different sites, environmental performance became an increasingly important factor, alongside the need to meet new legislation.

The challenge

Serco operates across various business sectors and more than 55 sites, including UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) sites, HMP prisons, and leisure centres. This meant Serco needed to ensure that appropriate security protocols and vetting procedures, such as DBS checks, were in place.

On-site operational issues, including the containment and management of waste across a variety of streams, meant Reconomy Connect was the ideal environmental partner, thanks to its all-inclusive, one-stop-shop solution.

Serco invited Reconomy Connect to tender with the key objective of gaining better management information (MI) data, driving change, and drastically increasing recycling levels, while complying with Serco’s security protocols and procedures.

The solution

Reconomy Connect identified an excess of 15 waste streams across all sites, with more identified as new sites are taken on. This allowed each waste stream to be separated, optimising recycling rates and generating rebates from materials that carry a financial value.

An improved waste management service increased recycling rates, improved waste collection service levels, reduced costs, and helped demonstrate that Serco is in control of its environmental impact in relation to waste. This was specifically required to support Serco’s ISO 14001 accreditation and to meet its Corporate, Social, and Environmental Responsibilities.

Reconomy Connect also accommodated Serco’s security needs by implementing a strict vetting procedure, ensuring all drivers and staff relating to the contract were security tested and duly authorised.

The introduction of state-of-the-art waste and recycling technology quickly and efficiently resolved several on-site issues, such as wind scatter, the encouragement of vermin, and odour. These modifications caused a ripple effect throughout Serco’s sites, drastically reducing the frequency of waste collections required. In turn, the reduction in collections and related haulage mileage created an immediate positive environmental impact, alongside significant cost savings, and promoted overall productivity.

A range of environmentally focused projects was introduced across many Serco sites, based on the size of each site, existing waste levels, and accessibility, as well as several key CSER considerations. A new de-watering system represented a major change, reducing the volume of food waste by approximately 35%. After careful examination, individual sites received different interventions, and Reconomy Connect was able to implement systems for the segregation of food waste for recycling. High-performance baling technology was also used to bale recyclables on Serco sites, helping to optimise recycling levels and, in turn, financial rebates.

Together, these changes helped bring the client to zero waste to landfill.