Poundland

Executive summary:

• Reconomy Connect manages all waste arisings at 800+ Poundland stores in the UK and Ireland
• Substantial cost savings achieved by partnering with Poundland’s distribution centres on rebate, recycling and reuse opportunities
• Reconomy Connect has worked with Poundland and our supply chain to achieve 99.4% landfill diversion
• The partnership has evolved from overseeing waste management requirements to implementing a long-term sustainability roadmap.
• We have supported Poundland in reducing their operational general waste by 27% (from 2019 baseline).

Case Study:

Poundland is one of the UK’s leading discount retailers, providing its customers with a choice of 3,000+ products unpinned by a highly attractive concept of offering most items for only £1 each, representing amazing value for money. Having opened its first store in Burton Upon Trent in 1990, Poundland now operates 800+ UK stores, with a turnover exceeding £1billion per year.

Reconomy Connect has been working with Poundland since 2014, managing each store’s waste collections, segregation processes, environmental compliance, reporting, as well as the provision of waste management equipment such as bailers and compactors. As part of this contract, we also collect and recycle on-demand WEEE items. The Poundland contract was initially managed by resource management consultancy company, Helistrat, before the business was acquired by Reconomy Connect in June 2018, with the contract formally moving over to us in October 2019.

During the contract’s early years, the remit was to deliver a cost-effective waste management service that ran efficiently, compliantly and to budget, whilst Poundland focused elsewhere on its own organic growth and acquisitions. Each store operated a single container (general waste) collection system, the only exceptions being cardboard and clear plastic film, which were segregated and backhauled to the DC for baling and sold on the commodities market.

Though other waste contractors may have been willing to sit back and work to these parameters, Reconomy Connect sought to add value, reduce costs, and minimise store-level waste wherever possible. Regular visits were carried out by Reconomy Connect operatives to deliver training and guidance to Poundland staff, making them aware of their individual waste management responsibilities. An auditing process was also established for any stores requesting extra general waste containers, with visual inspections of bins taking place before requests were granted. If signs of cardboard or clear plastic waste were found, further staff training was first carried out to ensure these materials were correctly segregated. This proactive, value-add approach from Reconomy Connect often prevented the need for any ‘doubling up’ of containers that would have incurred additional costs.

Reconomy Connect has worked tirelessly to change attitudes within Poundland and encourage a more forward thinking and sustainable approach to waste management. When the contract was extended to include Poundland’s network of distribution centres (DCs), we seized the opportunity to fully demonstrate its waste minimisation and cost saving expertise.

As part of the landfill diversion project, Reconomy Connect introduced additional waste streams to be collected at the stores (food waste and mixed recycling). We introduced internal recycling bins for all the stores to use in the canteen and warehouse areas. The new recycling bins were supported with labels and signage, and we developed a project specific “digital store waste management reference guide” to support the store teams to improve recycling and compliance.