£25m turnover signage business points towards greener future
A £25m turnover signage business in Bristol has reduced non-recyclable waste by a third in a year thanks to a new relationship with Grundon Waste Management.
Spandex, which creates signage in the construction, architecture and automotive sector, streamlined its waste operations in February last year.
Since then the site in Aztec West, which employs 100 staff including 20 in its warehouse, has significantly reduced non-recyclable waste, with Grundon reporting a total of just over 48 tonnes in the 12 months leading up to February 2025.
“We’re really pleased with our performance in recycling,” said Eddie Edge, warehouse and logistics manager at Spandex.
“We were looking to streamline the services provided previously by four or five different waste and recycling companies. Now we have one point of contact which works much better from the perspective both of communications and practicality.
“Alongside an initial cost saving with Grundon we’ve seen our general, non-recyclable waste reduce by around a third in a year. We also have great visibility through a portal where I can see the reduction in tonnage month on month.
“It’s also apparent that our trends in terms of recycling and splitting waste are heading in the right direction, alongside the resulting impact on our CO2 emissions.
“The overriding benefit is the removal of the logistical headache and the resulting management efficiency. What you can’t measure is the time savings – we can leave this side of our business to the experts, so we can focus on other areas of our operation.”
Spandex started life as a small private business nearly 50 years ago and is now part of a multinational group which turns over more than £370m worldwide.
Edge said the company, which is unrelated to the product of the same name used in elasticated clothing, is currently enjoying significant growth in the wrapping of luxury vehicles.
Nick Malvern, regional sales lead at Grundon said that Grundon’s recycling performance was typical of the savings that dedicated specialists can make to their customers.
“It’s always a pleasure to see the improvements we bring to local businesses.” he said.
“Spandex are looking to expand significantly into their growth area of automotive vehicle wrapping and windscreen protection, which is an area which will bring its own needs in terms of waste and recycling.
“Of course we’ll be there to support with the appropriate advice and technical support, and we’ll look forward to continuing with Spandex on their journey into expanding markets.”
Bristol-based waste expert Grundon is the UK’s largest family-owned supplier of integrated waste management and environmental services. Founded in 1929, it has developed a distinctive approach – from solutions offered, to its approach to customer service – that has helped the company to maintain a leading position within the waste industry.
