Reconomy Connect, a brand by the leading international circular economy specialist Reconomy, has partnered with Extra MSA, an operator of ten motorway service stations across England, to tackle persistent contamination issues associated with public-facing recycling bins.
Prior to the project, Extra’s average recycling rate stood at 18%, reflecting a challenge common across food-to-go and high-footfall environments. Despite investment in segregated bins, customer confusion and low engagement led to widespread cross-contamination. Under published Simpler Recycling guidance, significantly contaminated recycling must be treated as general waste, meaning valuable materials were being lost before collection.
Working together a review was carried out which identified that a reliance on customer-led segregation was a key barrier to improving recycling quality and capture rates, prompting the development of an alternative operating model.
In the spring of 2024, a pilot was launched at Extra’s flagship Beaconsfield service station. All food court bins were removed and replaced with clearly signed trolleys allowing customers to dispose of waste without separating it. Trained operational staff then sort the waste in a dedicated on-site recycling facility used exclusively by Extra. The new approach to consumer engagement, known as “Litter, we’ll sort it for you”, transfers responsibility for correct separation from customers to staff, significantly reducing contamination.
Outcomes from the partnership include:
- Average recycling rates increasing from 18% prior to the project to 36% by April 2025
- Significantly reduced spend on bin bags and waste handling
- No increase in labour hours, alongside improved staff engagement and ownership of sustainability outcomes
- Extra now capture approximately 10 litres of liquid and ice every 15 minutes, disposing of it down a sink – protecting the quality of recyclable material
Building on the success of the food court pilot, Extra removed all external bins from its car parks in April 2025. Customers began returning waste to food courts or taking it home for recycling, while litter levels did not increase. The absence of food waste in external areas also led to a reduction in vermin, and time previously spent servicing car park bins was redeployed to other customer-facing activities. The second phase has seen recycling rates increase further, now averaging 49%, reinforcing the belief that high-quality recyclate can be captured, even in complex high-footfall environments.
It is noted that this is one potential option for dealing with waste from customers. As Simpler Recycling becomes part of everyday life, separation at source will play an increasingly important role in delivering cleaner recycling streams and reducing contamination.
David Gudgeon, head of external affairs at Reconomy Connect, said: “One of the biggest challenges in public-facing spaces is contamination – even with the best intentions, customers can struggle to separate their waste correctly, which means valuable materials are lost. Working with Extra, we were able to redesign the system so that operational teams take responsibility for sorting, supported by clear signage and dedicated facilities.
“This evidence-led approach not only reduced contamination and improved recycling rates, but also provides a model that can be applied across other sites and sectors. It shows that with the right data and process, we can make recycling simple, effective, and measurable across the retail and hospitality sector.”
Ross Mendenhall, group operations director at Extra MSA Group, added: “For our customers the changes have made recycling simple and effortless. There’s no longer confusion over which bin to use or what can and can’t be recycled. For our employees, this transformative strategy has fostered a sense of ownership and pride in our sustainability efforts, as they play a direct role in helping us to transition to a truly circular economy.”
