Swindon & Wiltshire News
Grundon helps Bristol Zoo boost recycling rates
Bristol Zoological Society has seen a dramatic increase in recycling rates just 12 months into a new partnership with Grundon Waste Management.
The conservation and education charity is based at Bristol Zoo Project Project near Cribbs Causeway.
In June last year it selected Grundon as its waste management partner as it embarked on plans to create a new conservation zoo on the city’s northern fringe.
In the ensuing year it has increased recycling rates from 35 per cent in 2024 to 52 per cent so far in 2025.
Progress has been achieved thanks to better segregation of waste streams combined with new bin arrangements and better signage.
Jonathan Timney, director of estates at Bristol Zoological Society, said: “We have a comprehensive set of sustainability ambitions and targets as part of our overarching sustainability strategy.
“Significantly enhancing our recycling rates and eradicating the use of single use plastics has always been a key part of that.
“When we partnered with Grundon we had a clear vision of what we wanted to achieve, and they have helped us on our way towards that.
“The key to the success of our recycling initiatives has been our close relationship with them, their attention to detail and stringent monitoring of progress. Our own staff on the ground at the zoo have been instrumental in this too, from our maintenance to visitor experience teams.
“We have more plans for increasing the recycling rate at the zoo over coming months and are looking forward to our productive partnership continuing.”
New initiatives that the visiting public will have noticed at the zoo include improved signage and bin hides, as well as arrangements for collecting dry mixed recycling, food waste and general waste.
Grundon also started recycling wood waste from the zoo in April this year.
The next phase was to introduce a compostable recycling service for the packaging sold to the public across site, which includes pizza boxes and cups. This was rolled out across site in late July.
The service is a new scheme launched by Grundon earlier this year called RecyclePlus, which supports companies to recycle waste streams that are traditionally difficult to recycle.
The zoo is expecting a busy 2026 with the opening of its new African Forest habitat in the spring. It will become home to its much-loved troop of Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas, along with many other highly threatened species.
Dan Peacey, regional sales manager for Grundon, looks after the relationship with Bristol Zoological Society.
“For the past year we’ve been working hard with the team to establish better waste management and recycling practices, encouraging the public to make the right choices when visiting the zoo,” he said. “It’s going really well.
“What’s been important is to be flexible to the zoo’s unique needs, tweaking collections as and when needed particularly around school holidays and busier periods.
“With the opening of the new African Forest habitat in spring 2026 things are going to get even busier for the zoo. We’ll be there to support the leadership with their waste management needs as the site develops into the future.”
Pictured: Daniel Peacey of Grundon with Jonathan Timney of Bristol Zoological Society
