Case study

The Lowry Hotel Manchester

The Challenge

The Lowry Hotel, one of Manchester’s leading luxury hotels, approached Fresh Start Waste Services after ongoing concerns around inaccurate reporting from their previous waste provider. Despite having a Porta-Packer, multiple food and glass bins, and a cardboard baler on-site, the hotel’s monthly reporting repeatedly failed to align with actual waste generation.

Fresh Start conducted a full waste review and quickly identified that almost all waste streams -including Dry Mixed Recycling (DMR), glass, food, and general waste – were being placed into the compactor. This limited the hotel’s ability to recycle effectively and resulted in avoidable operational and financial inefficiencies.

The cardboard baler was also producing a small number of mill-sized bales that were stored on-site for long periods, with no rebates being paid and no cost-effective return on the time invested in baling.

Additionally, although the hotel had 15 x 240L glass bins and 15 x 240L food bins, the hotel’s management team noticed that food waste bins were hardly used – yet their monthly reports showed identical, repeated weights. This raised further concerns about accuracy and transparency.

Having previously worked with Fresh Start Waste, the General Manager and Head of Operations/Facilities knew they could rely on a local provider committed to transparency, customer service, and genuine environmental impact – especially ahead of new 2025 legislation requiring businesses to segregate recyclable materials.

The Solution

Fresh Start Waste worked closely with The Lowry Hotel to overhaul their waste processes and build a more sustainable, compliant, and transparent system.

Unpacking the Packer

Fresh Start broke the compactor back down into individual 1100L waste streams based on weight data and typical waste generation. This allowed the hotel to segregate at source and immediately improve recycling performance.

Segregated Collections for Full Compliance

Using Fresh Start’s fully segregated vehicle fleet, the hotel moved to:

Daily collections of General Waste and Mixed Recycling
Weekly collections of Food Waste and Glass Waste

The flexible daily collections were especially beneficial during busy periods, events, and hotel functions, ensuring the hotel avoided overproduction issues and maintained clean, organised waste areas.

Staff Training & Legislative Guidance

Fresh Start delivered in-depth training sessions to departmental heads and hotel staff, walking through:

The upcoming April 2025 legislation
What should go into each waste stream
The environmental impact of segregation
How collections work and what to expect operationally

This preparation ensured a smooth transition and empowered staff to take ownership of the hotel’s recycling goals.

The Results

✔ Immediate Recycling Improvements

By switching from a single compactor to segregated containers, the hotel instantly improved recycling performance and ensured compliance with future legislation.

✔ Significant Cost Savings

The hotel removed the need for leased waste equipment, eliminating rental, maintenance, transport, and disposal costs associated with the Porta-Packer and baler.

✔ Accurate Reporting and Full Transparency

Fresh Start’s detailed monthly reporting gives the hotel a true picture of its waste generation, helping teams measure success and maintain momentum.

✔ Proper Use of Food and Glass Recycling

With training and clear systems in place, the hotel quickly began using its glass and food bins correctly – preventing overweight charges and increasing the recovery of valuable recycling streams.

✔ Zero Service Issues

Since services began in early August 2025, The Lowry Hotel has had no service-related issues, reflecting a smooth and reliable partnership.

✔ Fresh Start Celebrates Partnership with a £500 Donation

To mark the beginning of this new collaboration with one of Manchester’s most prestigious hospitality venues, Fresh Start Waste Services made a £500 donation to Hospitality Action—their nominated charity supporting individuals across the hospitality sector.

This donation reinforces Fresh Start’s commitment not only to sustainability but also to supporting the people who make Manchester’s hospitality industry exceptional.

“Partnering with Fresh Start Waste Services has made a huge difference to how we manage waste here at The Lowry Hotel. Working with a local provider who shares our environmental values has transformed our recycling processes and made it easy for our teams to understand and support our sustainability goals.

We’re now confidently maximising our recycling, reducing our carbon footprint, and receiving transparent monthly reporting that shows the positive impact we’re making as a hotel. Small changes are helping us make a big long-term difference, and we’re proud to be working alongside Fresh Start Waste Services to protect our planet.”

A spokesperson for The Lowry Hotel

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