About the Client
For more than two decades, The Brewery Romford has been a cornerstone of Romford’s retail and leisure offering. Standing on the historic site of the Star Brewery, the destination brings together shopping, dining, and entertainment for visitors from across London. As expectations around sustainability continue to grow, the site is committed to finding smarter ways to manage resources and minimise waste across its operations.
Our Client’s Challenge
The Brewery Romford is a high-footfall retail destination where a mix of tenants, limited space, and frequent staff changes had kept recycling performance below its potential. The dynamic nature of the workplace led to training gaps and irregular recycling segregation. Each unit operates differently, so a bespoke, hands-on approach to training was needed. The aim was to get The Brewery Romford beyond a 60% recycling rate within a year despite these challenges.
Services Provided
Our Approach
Upon partnering with The Brewery Romford, Recorra quickly became actively involved on site, working closely with the cleaning team, site management, and tenants to tackle issues as they arose. Proper recycling became a part of daily operations rather than something managed at a distance.
Targets were shaped by the day-to-day reality of the site. Recorra continues to work alongside The Brewery Romford and their cleaning team to build an ongoing programme of engagement. Tenants receive tailored guidance, supported by regular site visits by specialist Recorra personnel, and clear feedback through site management when issues are identified. Infrastructure is adjusted where necessary, whether that means rethinking bin layouts or increasing recycling capacity at peak times.
Site staff are given the tools and access needed to support these ongoing infrastructure improvements. The Brewery Romford’s Cleaning Manager in particular plays a key role in making adjustments work. He is in regular contact with tenants, handles inductions for new starters, and ensures each unit has the right setup. When challenges come up, he works directly with Recorra to find practical fixes tailored for each space. His commitment to driving recycling improvements was recognised in 2025, when he was named Waste Warrior of the Year at the Recorra Recycling and Circularity Awards (RCAs).
Tenants are now more willing to engage with recycling best practices because the support feels relevant to them. Instead of generic advice, they are given specific guidance that match how they operated. This is delivered by representatives who truly understand their day-to-day processes and can provide tailored, practical instruction. Feedback is often immediate, which helps reinforce good habits before problems become routine.
The Results
The Brewery Romford quickly exceeded its target of a 60% recycling rate, peaking at 82%. This also caused a sharp increase in carbon savings, which rose by 290% to over 525,000 kg through better recycling segregation. The equivalent of 1,444 trees were saved in the process.
Additionally, general waste costs reduced by more than 51%. Overall waste costs continue to drop, even as recycling volume increases. Monthly tracking shows steady progress rather than short-term spikes, despite seasonal pressures and ongoing staff turnover.
What’s Next for The Brewery Romford?
The Brewery Romford and Recorra will continue working together to build on the site’s recycling success. Through ongoing staff engagement, the partnership will focus on driving recycling rates even higher and helping tenants keep up with evolving best practices.
