Wolseley’s UK head office and Sustainable Building Center (SBC) in Leamington Spa has increased recycling levels to around 90% and says zero waste goes direct to landfill from the sites.
The distributor of plumbing and heating products is driving down recycling rates at the office by including the installation of nine worm farms to enable worms to consume the site's waste food, transforming it into fertiliser which is being used to improve green spaces around the building.

Other schemes include centralised colour-coded bins to enable easy segregation of waste and the amalgamation of the waste collection services for the head office and SBC on to one site.

The small amount of waste that remains is dealt with in two ways: recyclable materials are removed to a sorting facility while the remainder is sent to an incinerator and used to produce electricity.

It is estimated that the scheme has saved the Leamington site around £30,000 a year.

'Three years ago we were recycling only about 10% and when you consider that the site has up to 600 people a day on it, it's no mean feat to have got the recycling rates up to this level,' said Martin Churley of the Wolseley UK environment team.

'We've hosted various Green Day events to promote energy efficiency and waste management and it's a real achievement to have reached our zero to landfill target.'

Wolseley's nationwide network of branches is now recycling more than 50% of its waste thanks to a process of collecting the cardboard and clear plastic used in deliveries from the company's distribution centres - which includes its National Distribution Centre (NDC) in Leamington Spa.

Star performer among the branches is the Rugby Build Center which has transformed itself from the brand's top spender on waste to now recycling 95% of all waste on the site and has also become the first Wolseley UK branch to achieve the zero to direct landfill target.