Crew Clothing
Zest Recycle began working with Crew Clothing over 8 years ago when they were looking to increase their recycling capabilities and bring all their waste management needs under one single expert provider.
Background
Crew Clothing Company is a British lifestyle brand, which originated in the coastal town of Salcombe, and the shores of the UK continue to remain a constant source of inspiration for the business, with 79 stores across the country.
Sustainability is a key focus for the business who are committed to sourcing sustainable materials and reducing their carbon footprint.
Crew Clothing believes that together, small changes create a big ripple effect, and this extends to the sustainable management of the waste generated at their Head Office and throughout their stores.
The Solution
When Zest Recycle began working with Crew Clothing, recycling rates were low, and the client was struggling with implementing a consistent solution throughout the business due to the difficult locations of some stores and the limitations these restrictions imposed, and they were keen to see some quick results to improve in this area.
We recognised that with the types of waste streams generated, there was a huge potential to significantly increase recycling which started with introducing a clear and consistent recycling message right from the top down.
An audit was carried out at Crew Clothing’s Head Office, and it was evident that although recycling efforts were being made, the lack of consistency of containers and messages out to staff were hampering their efforts to take their recycling to the next level.
Following the audit, we put forward a new proposition which included;
- Reducing the number of internal recycling containers and making these uniform across the Crew Clothing estate.
- Introducing a simple three bin set up externally, consisting of Mixed Recycling, General Waste, and Cardboard.
- Designing new bold, clear and consistent signage for the different waste streams.
- Conducting an internal marketing campaign to educate staff on how to recycle correctly and the importance of recycling.
The new service was introduced with educational campaigns to nurture a sustainable culture within Crew Clothing stores and to encourage staff to view waste as a resource.
The Results
Recycling has significantly increased, with Crew Clothing having hit a 68% recycling rate, even with difficult to reach areas where it is only possible to carry out kerbside collections. In addition to this, Zest Recycle ensures that the remainder of the waste is sent for Energy Recovery, which means Crew Clothing is achieving Zero Waste to Landfill.
We continue to work with Crew Clothing to ensure waste is tightly controlled and to identify opportunities to further reduce waste and ensure the impact on the environment is minimal.
From their continuous recycling efforts to reducing wrapping from their suppliers, introducing paperless offices, and using recyclable packaging, Crew Clothing is taking sustainable resource management to the heart of their business, and Zest Recycle are proud to have played a key part in their journey.
"Before the campaign, the recycling results of the business was not reflecting Crew Clothing's efforts to improve the sustainability of their resource management. As their waste management partner working across the whole estate, we were able to provide the support, guidance and services needed to get their recycling on track and now they are hitting new heights with no plans to stop there."
The Account Director for Zest Recycle