Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 28th May 2026 Issue no. 1212
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Eco-friendly FM: what building managers can learn from a sustainable English pub
For commercial cleaning professionals and facilities managers, implementing sustainability initiatives is no longer just an environmental choice - it is a proven strategy to directly reduce waste management costs, improve water efficiency and enhance brand loyalty.
A prime example of this data-driven approach to green facilities management is outlined in a recent sustainability report by the Cornwall, UK-based St Austell Brewery, which operates 45 pubs. Remarkably, its corporate-wide waste diversion efforts all started with a breakdown of the humble beer mat - aka ‘coaster.’
Traditional drink coasters are made from layers of paperboard, pulpboard and specialised tissues designed to absorb moisture. Because of heavy inks and plasticised coatings, they are rarely recyclable. Once soiled, millions of these coasters head straight to landfills, bloating a facility's waste stream and increasing custodial disposal costs.
To tackle this hidden waste, St Austell Brewery swapped traditional coasters for reusable, recyclable, and even plantable alternatives. To maximise engagement, it printed QR codes on the mats, allowing customers to seamlessly audit the brewery's sustainability benchmarks.
Beyond the coasters, the brewery implemented several high-impact facility practices that commercial building managers and contract cleaners can replicate to lower operational costs:
* 100% renewable energy: All 45 properties now run entirely on renewable electricity, drastically cutting the organisation's carbon footprint.
* 50% total waste reduction: Driven by an aggressive expansion of facility recycling efforts, overall trash volume has been slashed in half since 2023.
* commercial food waste diversion: Food waste is down 40% year-over-year. By diverting food scraps away from landfills into composting or bio-conversion streams, the pubs have significantly reduced monthly trash collection fees.
* supply chain efficiency: Localising delivery vendors cut ‘food miles’ by one-third, significantly lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
* smart water efficiency: By installing waterless urinals, the pubs save more than 26,000 gallons of water per urinal per year, drastically lowering water utility bills.
Sustainability performance drives profitability… Making sustainable facility practices visible to the public is a powerful tool for cementing customer and tenant loyalty.
"St. Austell Brewery made its sustainability efforts highly visible to the public, which delivers a direct competitive advantage," says Klaus Reichardt, CEO and founder of Waterless Co., a pioneer in water reduction technologies.
"A recent study revealed that 64% of consumers are willing to pay 10% more for products and services when they know a company is actively reducing its environmental impact.
"For building managers and janitorial operations, the takeaway is clear: maximising your environmental performance isn't just good for the planet - it's good for the bottom line."
Our picture shows Emily Coon, the brewery’s sustainability manager, who says:
"We're proud of the progress we're making across our business, but for us this has always been about bringing people with us on the journey. Our pubs are where we connect with more people than anywhere else, so we wanted to create a simple and accessible way for guests to access our impact report and share the progress happening behind the scenes as well as our future ambitions.
"The plantable beer mats are a small idea, but they represent a bigger mindset - thinking differently about waste, creating moments for conversation, and making sustainability feel part of everyday experiences rather than something distant or abstract. We know meaningful change comes from much bigger actions than a beer mat alone, but if it encourages more people to engage with sustainability - and better understand the role businesses like ours can play in driving momentum - that feels like a positive step."
The past year has marked a standout period of progress for St Austell Brewery, with its sustainability work receiving national recognition alongside significant operational improvements, across waste, energy and water efficiency. It was recently named Best Sustainable Pub Company in the UK at the Publican Awards, while its pub waste-reduction programme also won Excellence in Waste Management at the Green Awards UK.
“Across our 45 managed pubs, we now operate on 100% renewable electricity, while total waste has fallen by 49% since 2023,” adds Emily. “General waste has been reduced by up to 40% year on year, recycling rates have doubled, and all food waste is now diverted from general waste streams.
“Water usage remains a key priority, with action taken both in pubs and at our two breweries, in Cornwall and Warmley. Waterless urinals, installed as part of recent pub refurbishments, are saving up to 100,000 litres of water per pub each year, while engineering improvements in brewing have also significantly reduced water use in the production of award-winning beers including Proper Job, Tribute and Korev.
“Supporting the regional economy is central to our strategy, with local suppliers playing a key role. Food delivery miles have been cut by 33%, while the use of locally landed fish on our pub menus has increased by 20%.
“Alongside environmental progress, St Austell Brewery raised more than £93,000 for charities and South West causes in 2025, with Children's Hospice South West named as Charity of the Year. Teams across the business have continued to volunteer and fundraise locally, supporting initiatives ranging from beach cleans to a community defibrillator campaign.
www.waterless.com | www.staustellbrewery.co.uk
21st May 2026