Swansea City AFC teams up with Gavin Griffiths Group on innovative green waste recycling initiative

Swansea City AFC has launched a new initiative with leading Swansea-based recycling firm, Gavin Griffith Group, to recycle grass cuttings from the Swansea.com Stadium, Fairwood Training Ground and Landore Academy.

The green waste is being converted into high grade compost that can be reused by end users in the agricultural, gardening and landscaping sectors. This innovative process sees Gavin Griffiths Group collect the club’s green waste and convert it into a Publicly Available System product, known as PAS100 compost, at a licenced compost facility.

The process uses an aeriation composting system that ensures the material heats up enough to eradicate weeds and unwanted growth whilst retaining the correct levels of moisture to create high quality compost. The end product is consistent, standardised, safe and traceable. It also meets the demands of the circular economy, which is high on the agenda for both Swansea City and Gavin Griffiths Group.

Gavin Griffiths, managing director of Gavin Griffiths Group, comments: “Sustainability is at the forefront of operations at Gavin Griffiths Group and we are always looking for ways to introduce new, innovative practices into the business. When we had the opportunity to work with a prestigious organisation like Swansea City AFC, we jumped at the chance, and we are proud to have introduced this new procedure that helps the Club to repurpose its green waste in such as sustainable way.”

Gavin Griffiths Group offer market-leading waste management and recycling services with operations across the UK. Committed to being responsible and sustainable, the company has invested heavily in green technology, processes and policies. The business recycles as much hardcore and soil waste as possible, with over 99% of waste handled diverted from landfill and the group own one of the UK’s largest washplants, based in Carmarthenshire.

Gavin Griffiths continues: “We know there is a need for our industry to be more environmentally friendly which is why we invest so much in keeping our operations as green as they can be. Doing our part to tackle the current climate change crisis is one of our key principles at Gavin Griffiths Group, and as a company, we are always working hard to do more for the environment.

“It is fantastic to partner with Swansea City, who have shown such brilliant enthusiasm for this project. We hope it will inspire other sports clubs to think about how they can also make their stadiums and training grounds more sustainable for the future.”

Evan Davies head groundsman for Swansea City AFC adds: “We have worked with Gavin Griffiths Group on the renovations grass waste removal for a few years. It is an innovative process which has allowed us to recycle hundreds of tonnes of grass and organic matter helping us become more sustainable as a business.

“But when we met with Gavin Griffiths Group to discuss how we could take our next steps to becoming even more sustainable across our three sites, we knew we could do more.

“We now have a system in place that means every blade of grass we cut through the season is taken away to be processed for composting, meaning 100 per cent of all our grass waste is recycled, something we could not achieve without the work of Gavin Griffiths Group.

“We are now targeting reusing a minimum of 10 per cent of that compost at our sites to plant more trees and shrub beds, and bring in an array of wildflowers to create habitats for wildlife, with long term 25 per cent being the aim.

“We are committed to becoming more sustainable and, as well as increasing the amount of grass waste recycled, we are also working proactively to reduce the club’s carbon footprint through non-use of fungicides, use of organic fertilisers and managing growth and plant health.

“We are very grateful to have a company as forward-thinking as Gavin Griffiths Group locally to help us deliver this.”

You can find out more about Gavin Griffiths Group, including its waste management and haulage services by visiting https://www.griffiths-group.co.uk, where you can also read more about other sustainability initiatives including paperless invoicing, in-cab remote systems and landfill diversions.