Sustainability

Here's How We're Doing Our Bit in Saving the Planet at Catering Supplies

Our Sustainability Policy
Improving our sustainability is important to us at Catering Supplies. Across our business we have made and will continue to make significant improvements.

Creating a sustainable future by operating a sustainable business
Catering Supplies is a values-led organisation and one which considers sustainability to be a continuous process. We recognise our responsibility to manage and reduce the impact of our activities, products, and services on the environment and will always seek opportunities for improvement. By being ethical and helpful, valuing our customers, nurturing our people, and being involved in the local, national and global community, Catering Supplies will continue to be a profitable & sustainable business.

Our product development team work hard to source new products that will help businesses meet the daily challenges of operating their hospitality businesses. More recently, this has included additional challenges presented by the COVID pandemic, yet our commitment to introducing ranges that align with our values remain unchanged.

Products with purpose
Like many in the hospitality sector, we’re striving to minimise single-use plastic and become a more eco-friendly business wherever we can. If we can’t remove single-use plastic entirely, then we have sought to replace virgin plastic with recycled plastic as well as expanding the number of toiletries and cleaning products with bulk refill options. 

We’re also in regular contact with eco-friendly brands like Greenspeed, Biohygine as they continue to develop new products that clean effectively yet with minimal impact on the environment. 

One might assume that there’s a price to pay for high standards, but our commitment to our customers means products are affordable and priced competitively.

Reducing the amount of waste we create
The amount of general waste collected from Catering Supplies in 2020 was 5.59 tonnes. We appreciate this is still a significant figure and one which we are actively working to reduce however, in real terms, this equates to less than one 360L wheelie bin each week.

Only a portion of this waste will actually go to landfill as it is mostly re-sorted and any materials which can be recycled are reclaimed (e.g. soft plastic, cardboard, paper, toner cartridges, staff crisp packets).

We are constantly seeking ways to become a more eco-friendly business which is why we collect all polythene pallet wrapping from deliveries from our suppliers. In the year up to 31st December 2020, this totalled 1.46 tonnes, all of which was sent to be recycled.

Due to the perfume content, any waste from of our soap manufacturing is collected separately. This is a very efficient activity and we are able to reprocess most of the ingredients ourselves.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is collected from us to be broken-down and sorted for recycling and reprocessing where possible

Our commitment to the local community
The opening of our new warehouse in May 2020 – our biggest single expansion to date – was also an opportunity for Catering Supplies to underline our commitment to support economic sustainability for the local community.

From our rural Cumbrian base between the Pennines and Lakeland Fells, we provide rewarding employment for over 80 staff in diverse roles from sales and marketing, product development and customer services to IT, delivery and despatch.

We will always endeavour to protect jobs and, where possible, create the right conditions for job creation for employment which involves decent work with equal pay without discrimination.

It may have become a cliché but, more than ever, the past year has demonstrated that people are central to any successful organisation. Catering Supplies is proud of each and every one of our team, their enthusiasm and contribution to help make us a leading and much-loved supplier to the UK hospitality industry.