Veolia's partnership with Fuller's
With Veolia’s expertise and Fuller’s dedication to sustainability, their recycling rate has soared by 30%.
Keep reading to find out how we did it.
Getting Ready for Simpler Recycling
The UK is currently adapting to a once-in-a-generation change across recycling and waste management which affects all of us, not just those of us in the business of bins. At the start of 2025, we were all gearing up for the new Simpler Recycling legislation that transformed waste management for all businesses across England.
Introduced in 2023 by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Simpler Recycling was brought in to help make bin day easier, by unifying what everyone can and must recycle. Whereas before, what could go in your recycling bin often depended on your location, leading to confusion, misconceptions and the loss of vital resources.
This is just one part of the government’s Resources and Waste Strategy, brought in to rejuvenate England’s recycling rate which had stagnated at 44% in recent years and we’re already starting to see the benefits.
Helping Fuller’s Bolster Their Recycling Rate
Veolia first started working with Fuller’s, the UK’s beloved pub group, in 2022. We took on the management of their Dry Mixed Recycling (DMR), Food Waste, Glass, Paper & Card and General Waste with a focus on diverting as much as possible away from the waste bin.
By the end of 2025, we have our targets set on recycling 70% of all waste and we’re well on our way with their recycling rate soaring from 35% to 66% across all of their pubs and hotels. Some locations have already exceeded all expectations and climbed to even greater heights.
How Veolia Helped The Churchill Arms Achieve an 83% Recycling Rate
The Churchill Arms is one of the most iconic pubs, not just in London but around the world, with global visitors coming to photograph the summer floral displays and the festive decorations.
Opened in 1750, they’ve come a long way since then, not least for their sustainability efforts.
They’ve reached an incredible 83% recycling rate and they’re not done there. Find out how this classic London pub facing space constraints and large volumes of recyclables, adapted to Simpler Recycling in the video here >>>
How Veolia's solutions helped support new recycling laws
Communication has been key to the success at The Churchill Arms. Regular site visits and spot checks from both our team and Fuller’s provided us with the opportunity to learn as we adapted. By seeing how the changes were going in real-time, we could evolve our solutions to better reflect the needs of the pub. For example, when we spotted patterns of contamination, we moved the recycling bins around to match the behaviour of the team who use them most.
To fully support the whole team on site, which is made of English, Spanish and Thai speakers, we’ve also worked with them to translate our standard bin stickers and posters, bringing everyone along on the journey with us.
“We’re incredibly proud of the incredible progress we’ve made with Fuller’s across all of their sites but especially of The Churchill Arms. None of this would have been possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of the General Manager James and the support Melissa has provided the team. It goes to show what great customer partnerships can achieve when they share the same goal. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next.”
Helene Almeroth-Williams, Head of Strategy & Innovation - Commercial, Veolia
“Through our partnership with Veolia, our teams have made incredible progress – dramatically improving recycling rates across all sites. We’re drawing closer to our 70% recycling rate target for the year – which I’m delighted to see. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with Veolia and our teams to make sure we hit that target this year. As well as improved recycling rates, through working with Veolia, we also send zero waste to landfill – with our general waste being sent to energy from waste facilities. This is a great initiative to help us reduce our impact on the planet.”
Oliver Rosevear, Fuller’s Sustainability Director
Are you looking for ways to boost your recycling rates?
Contact our team of experts for solutions tailored to your business:
