Marston's to remove 500,000 plastic bottles from inns by end of the year

Pub chain Marston's has committed to removing its annual use of almost 500,000 plastic bottles from its 60 inns by the end of 2019.

The company, which operates almost 1,600 pubs across the UK, will remove plastic bottles from its 60 inns, saving on average 1,865 plastic cups per week. Glasses will be made available in rooms from today (31 October) and consumers that still wish to have bottled water will be able to purchase glass bottles at all of Marston’s pubs.

Marston’s hotel operations manager Jo Rogers said: “The strive for plastic reduction across any business and household is at an all-time high and this small change just shows the power of how making one adjustment can have a big impact.

“We are continually looking at ways to make the business more environmentally friendly and are pleased to say that we have so far had the full support of our customers which has been really great in bringing these initiatives to life.”

Year of progress

Last year, Marston's revealed that it hit its 2020 zero-waste-to-landfill goal two years ahead of schedule, after sending more than three-quarters (77%) of its waste to be recycled in 2018.

Now diverting 99.5% of its 60,000-tonne annual waste output from landfill, in line with national zero-waste-to landfill standard requirements.

The goal was achieved after Marston’s partnered with UK Waste Solutions (UKWSL) in 2016. As a result, the pub chain designed and implemented a ‘Resource and Waste Management Action Plan’ (RWMP) across its estate.

The achievement comes after Marston’s replaced all its single-use plastic straws with biodegradable alternatives earlier this year, with the straws then being collected by UKWSL for processing.

The partnership has also seen Marston’s install robotic cardboard balers at several of its pubs, in a bid to improve segregation and quality of cardboard. The move has also reduced the frequency at which cardboard collections are required, therefore cutting transport emissions.

Additionally, the pub chain has made moves to explore whether it can recapture its plastic waste output and incorporate circular products in its estate. For example, some pubs now have fencing, decking and garden furniture made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics.

Also in 2018, Marston’s partnered with Engenie to install 400 electric vehicle (EV) chargers across its UK estate. Engenie has since inked a deal with Octopus Electric Vehicles to supply 100% renewable power to the Marston’s network.

Matt Mace