From Two Months of Waste Frustration to a Fully Optimised Operation in Just Three Days

Aug 10
2 min read

Updated: Aug 11

When world supermarket Norfolk Daily Fresh on Magdalen Street in Norwich approached Marshalls, they had already spent over two months trying to resolve ongoing waste management issues.

Despite working through four different waste providers and a broker, no practical solution had been found.

The business was facing a number of operational challenges:

Existing bin numbers and waste streams were unsuitable for the volume of waste being produced.
General waste bins on site were regularly becoming too heavy and difficult to manage safely.
The location of the bins created a significant collection issue, with access restricted by a narrow road and busy traffic conditions.
Waste collection providers were unable to provide a waste service.
The owner was regularly using one of the company’s delivery vehicles to transport waste to a local waste facility; a costly and time-consuming process that diverted valuable resources away from the core business.

The situation had become increasingly frustrating and was beginning to impact day-to-day operations.

The Marshalls Approach

Marshalls carried out a full review of the site’s waste streams, collection arrangements and operational requirements. Within two weeks, we had designed and implemented a completely new waste management solution.

This included:

Reconfiguring the entire bin setup.
Removing unsuitable waste containers.
Introducing dedicated general waste, cardboard recycling and food waste collections.
Increasing capacity where required.
Adjusting collection frequencies to suit the business’s actual waste production.
Resolving long-standing access and health & safety concerns.

One of the biggest challenges was the collection location.

The original collection point was unsuitable for safe access by a refuse vehicle due to road width restrictions and traffic conditions. Marshalls worked with collection partners to redesign the service route and relocate the collection point to a more suitable road, allowing safe and efficient access for the dustcart.

The final solution consisted of:

2 x General Waste Bins
2 x Cardboard Recycling Bins
4 x Food Waste Bins

All serviced three times per week.

Going Beyond the Contract

The real test of any waste provider comes when something unexpected happens.

Due to operational challenges, the client generated significantly more food waste than usual and urgently needed an additional collection on a Wednesday evening.

At 6pm, the owner contacted Marshalls in a panic. Their regular food waste collection was not due until the following Tuesday, but the volume of waste on site meant waiting was simply not an option.

Rather than saying no, Marshalls found a solution.

Within hours, we had spoken with an alternative collection provider and secured a 5am food waste collection the very next morning. The issue was resolved before the business opened for the day, preventing disruption and ensuring the site remained compliant.