Company - ScotRail

How was this solved?

With multiple facets to ScotRail’s business, the challenge to segregate all waste streams in all locations was wide reaching. Offices, depots, stations, hospitality services and, most challenging of all, on train services all had to install new facilities, implement new procedures and gain the support of staff to ensure that ScotRail delivered results and ensured compliance.

Graph showing percentage of waste recycled in Aberdeen 

The Aberdeenshire area rose to the challenge and the work carried out there is a great example of how the combination of legislation and good staff engagement at all levels can produce vast improvements.

As the main station for North East Scotland, Aberdeen has multiple stakeholders: the travel shop and station tenants, offices, Traincare, a hospitality depot and a station management depot. Together, working with the Scotrail Environment Manager, the station team delivered an improvement plan to increase recycling rates from 10% to 60%. Actions included: 

  • An internal waste campaign to engage staff with the challenge, explain the issues and get them on board to create and deliver the solution.
  • New waste collection facilities with clear signage to help people put waste in the correct bins.
  •  Engagement with customers, helping to explain why the work was being carried out, what was required of them and demonstrating what the new signage meant.
  • Active ongoing communication of changes and of progress to keep people engaged and to help them to understand the difference their participation was making.

This approach meant that everyone involved in the waste stream was informed and engaged helping to increase the understanding of where their waste was going and challenging them to consider where their waste was coming from. 

What were the outcomes?

An increase in recycling from 10% to 60%

Principles

Customer-driven, Reducing our environmental impact

Asset / operations

Operations

Organisation type

TOC