Bristol Cathedral has appointed Grundon as its new waste and recycling partner.
The partnership follows a review of the cathedral’s waste and recycling arrangements as part of wider discussions around environmental performance and sustainability.
The move will help Bristol Cathedral simplify its recycling processes, improve visibility of waste data and support efforts to increase recycling rates across the historic site.
In offering the cathedral a more flexible, responsive and streamlined waste management service, Grundon adds supporting the sustainability ambitions one of the city’s major landmarks to its local operations.
The appointment follows a recommendation from the neighbouring Bristol Cathedral Choir School, which is already served by Grundon.
The cathedral itself welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, hosting worship, concerts, community events, corporate functions and other large gatherings.
These activities generate a varied waste stream, requiring a service that can adapt to changing demands throughout the year.
Ben Silvey, chief operating officer at Bristol Cathedral, said: “We were looking for a waste management partner which could help us simplify our recycling arrangements while supporting our wider sustainability ambitions.
“Every week at Bristol Cathedral is different, from services and community activities to large-scale events, so flexibility is incredibly important to us.
“Grundon demonstrated a clear understanding of our needs from the outset. Their responsiveness, willingness to adapt the service and ability to provide additional capacity when required were all key factors in our decision to change providers. Just as importantly, they provide the reporting and visibility we need to better understand our waste streams and support future improvements.”
Ben Silvey
Chief Operating Officer
Under the agreement, Grundon will provide general waste, mixed recycling, food waste and glass collections, together with flexible support for larger events and seasonal fluctuations in waste volumes. The company will also manage the disposal and treatment of all waste streams.
Access to detailed waste reporting from Grundon will enable the cathedral to better measure performance and identify opportunities for further environmental improvements.
Nick Malvern, waste management sales lead at Grundon, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Bristol Cathedral and to be supporting an organisation that plays such an important role in the city.
“Our approach is built around delivering reliable, responsive services that are tailored to each customer’s needs, and that’s particularly important for a venue with such a varied calendar of events.
“By providing a simpler recycling set up, detailed reporting and the flexibility to respond quickly when requirements change, we look forward to helping the cathedral achieve its sustainability objectives in the years ahead.”
The partnership has also been developed with careful consideration of the cathedral’s unique operating environment. Located alongside a busy school campus, collections and service activities require close coordination to ensure safe and efficient operations while minimising disruption to pupils, staff and visitors.