IT appears St Austell Brewery is turning over a new, greener leaf.

Forget pouring perfect pints, instead they're launching a new recycling revolution across their 45 managed pubs, setting their sights on slashing general waste by a whopping 80 per cent.

Teaming up with leading waste management company, Biffa, they're rolling out a streamlined waste-busting system that's set to make waves across the region.

The initiative will see St Austell’s pub empire on a mission to double their recycling efforts before the year is out.

From educating and engaging colleagues on correct recycling, through to minimising food waste, St Austell Brewery is aiming to reduce its environmental footprint whilst also rewarding teams for hitting their targets

All of St Austell Brewery’s managed pubs now have colour-coded bins which are divided into three sections:

In addition to making waste segregation easier, St Austell Brewery is rolling out a supporting employee encouragement plan to help drive engagement and participation. This includes a leaderboard for pubs, where the team with the highest reduction in waste overall will be rewarded with online vouchers to spend every quarter.

Helen Sprason, area manager and member of the Sustainability Steering Committee at St Austell Brewery, said: “One of the first things we did when we started the project was to engage our pub teams about proper recycling. For some team members this involved a trip to Biffa’s Redruth MRF (Mixed Recycling Facility) to get a first-hand look at the importance of thorough recycling.

“We recognise that given our scale we have a huge opportunity to really make a difference. Last year, we successfully reduced total waste in our managed pub estate by 40 per cent, and we are now aiming for an even greater impact. We’re confident this is one of the biggest waste management schemes to be undertaken by a pub company.”

Following the launch of the new waste scheme in the managed pubs, the company is now planning to extend it across its two breweries (St Austell and Hare, near Bath) and its head office and depots across the South West.

Since the launch of the general waste reduction campaign in 2025, St Austell Brewery has seen encouraging progress across its managed pubs, with average reductions ranging from five per cent to 15 per cent.

Leading the way is Haveners in Fowey, which has shown exceptional improvement. At the start of the year, general waste made up 46 per cent of their total waste, but they've impressively reduced that figure to just 10.82 per cent. This marks a remarkable 36 per cent reduction at a single site - an achievement that sets a strong example.

Paul Tregunna, account director for Biffa’s Cornwall head office, said: “This is a substantial undertaking, particularly in the hospitality sector, and we are proud to be supporting St Austell Brewery with this important initiative. We look forward to fully supporting the company’s ambitious efforts to improve sustainability and waste management across all of its managed pub estate.”