Person looking into a black plastic bin bag while depositing a piece of waste ;

Waste

Shepherd Neame employee with flat packed cardboard boxes in the bottling plant of the Faversham brewery

Recycling

Only 2% of our waste is sent to landfill across the business and, through our partnership with contractors 1st Waste, we are investing in a carbon offset scheme to create a zero balance for our waste collection. In June 2023 we received official certification as a Carbon Offset Participant for reducing 2,705 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

We use 99% recyclable packaging materials at the brewery and recycle 97% of the grain and hops used in the brewing process as animal feed on local farms.

In our pub estate, all our food waste is recycled along with mixed recycling for cardboard, glass and plastics. We only stock paper straws and all toiletries are SLS and paraben free and come in biodegradable packaging.

Our food teams have minimised waste through improved menu and portion design, and we currently recycle around 61% of the total cooking oil used – it is collected by oil recyling company Olleco and converted to green energy.

Shepherd Neame employee testing water at the Faversham brewery's water recovery plant

Water

We installed a water recovery plant on the edge of the brewery’s site in 2013 that allows us to recycle the waste water produced by brewing and cleaning. We brew with legally certified natural mineral water, drawn from an artesian well deep beneath the brewery.

Brewing requires large quantities of water and we use approximately 40 million gallons of water per year with a total of 16% of the extracted water in the finished product. At full capacity this equipment enables us to recycle 55% of water used, returning the clean water to Faversham Creek. This benefits the local community by reducing our impact on the environment and use of natural resources.

Conveyor belt of bottles at the Shepherd Neame brewery in Faversham

Our waste initiatives

A commitment to doing the right thing for our community, our people and our environment is at the heart of our strategy. As part of our ambitious environment goals, we have pledged to send zero waste to landfill by 2025.

Discover more about our initiatives to minimise waste across the business.

Watch People, Pubs & Planet: Waste