The Scotch Malt Whisky Society logo displayed in front of shelves of whiskey.

Key stats

Market Sector

Bar/Restaurant

Recycling rate

78%

Cost reduction

15%

SMWS benefitted from the support of their Client Relationship Manager to reduce waste and increase recycling which has significantly reduced their waste costs.

“Few companies will really go the extra mile to help their clients save money. Thankfully for the Society, Change Waste Recycling did.”


Francois Guillemet, Venue Manager, SMWS Queen Street

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) began over 30 years ago when a group of whisky-loving friends clubbed together to buy a cask of fine malt whisky. Today the international society has three UK venues, two of which are located in Edinburgh. The Society’s Queen Street venue is open to the public with a whisky bar and fine dining restaurant. Change Waste Recycling has worked with the Society for over 10 years, providing recycling and waste management services for both Queen Street and Leith locations.

Recently our Service team identified the Society’s Queen Street venue as a site producing substantial volumes of general waste and contaminated recycling. To rectify this, their dedicated Client Relationship Manager (CRM) met on site several times and put together a waste prevention and engagement plan. Within a couple of months, their CRM, Angela Dolan, redesigned the internal bin layout at the venue to capture more recycling, met with staff from all areas of the business and held a staff training workshop for all staff.

As a result of the changes, recycling such as cardboard, paper and plastic bottles increased by over 100% and usage of general waste bags decreased by nearly 30%. The general waste reductions alone would equate to annual savings of nearly £2K.

We are continuing to monitor SMWS’ waste arisings to ensure optimum recycling rates and waste reductions are being achieved. We understand that keeping a tight rein on waste and recycling in a hospitality business can be challenging. That’s why we have reliable systems in place so we can remain proactive and communicate potential issues swiftly.  This keeps our clients on track reducing their waste, increasing their recycling and saving money.

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