LONG-STANDING family-run firm Neville Joinery has replaced more than 160 time-critical waste recycling units across more than 80 Welsh restaurants of a global franchise to help them comply with new Government legislation. The family-run company, headquartered in Luton, is part of Neville Trust Group of Companies, which celebrates a milestone 150-year anniversary in 2025.
Embracing new legislation for Wales, which came into force in April 2024, restaurants and businesses have started to implement new means of separating their waste — a process which aligns with emerging sustainability values.
As a result of this legislation, Neville Joinery was commissioned to serve 89 Welsh restaurants with more than 160 the new recycling stations, produced, delivered and fitted in just six weeks.
The legislation requires all businesses, charities and public sector organisations to separate their recyclable materials in the same way most households already do. With the aim of improving the recycling rate of waste material collected by Welsh local authorities, which is currently at just over 65%, this client is one of many corporations implementing changes to reduce its carbon emissions.
Neville Joinery was involved in the project from the design stage. As per its contract, the Neville Joinery team partners with a third-party timber-based panel manufacturer, who was able to take delivery of the waste materials from the old recycling stations and process it into new, usable product. This product then re-enters the supply chain where it is sold back to joinery firms, giving the client, as well as the Nevilles Team, full visibility over the life cycle of its recycling units.
Andrew Knowles (pictured), manager at Neville Joinery, said: “New Welsh legislation has meant that businesses needed to implement separate food waste storage and collection processes quickly and efficiently. For many of our business partners, this has meant accelerating their solutions which reduce and manage waste, while also transitioning to more sustainable packaging and materials.
“The recycling units we create had to be built with sustainability in mind, allowing businesses to easily manage their waste materials, liquids and food waste, while still being consumer friendly. By managing waste better, in line with new legislation, businesses, restaurants and charities alike can contribute to a more circular economy, allowing for more experiments to be done on transforming food waste into renewable energy and liquid fertiliser.”
“The supply chain plays a vital role in ensuring we, as a nation, continues to act responsibly. The Neville Joinery team was able to pick up the old units from across the Welsh restaurants, get them back to our workshop and deliver and install the new designs within a tight time frame.”
Long standing business partnerships plays an important role in the company’s 150-year history. Neville Trust will celebrate its milestone 150th anniversary throughout 2025, showcasing its long-term partnerships and historic projects with which it has been a part of.
Andy continued: “Since the very beginning of our company in 1875, we have recognised that our clients demand a more proactive, hands-on approach to their specialist joinery requirements, and we understand the need for delivering time-sensitive and demanding schemes that are finished to a high standard.
“This is why our long-standing partnerships are so important to us — it demonstrates how we can collaborate with our clients to help them deliver their own business ambitions. For this Wales project, we have researched and trialled greener materials made from natural polymers, we’ve worked with third parties to review the environmental impact of our own supply chain, and we’re constantly looking for ways to cut down on packaging, recycling and reusing where possible.
“It’s great to be a cog in this machine, and to have been a part of the company’s own journey over these last 50 years.”
Neville Joinery is part of Neville Trust group of companies, which includes Neville Funerals and Neville Special Projects. It operates nationwide and has a reputation for skilled craftsmanship, whether it be in installing manufactured items and interior finishing or creating specialist joinery to a wide range of clients. It is an accredited holder of FSC certification, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable procurement.
See page 29 of our February/March 2025 issue on our Back Issues page.
