Reduce your costs while increasing sustainability: Veolia’s partnership with Care England explained

Introduction

Care England represents the adult social care sector and has a purpose to develop and deliver high quality care that communities, no matter the size, deserve. As of 2025, Care England has partnered with Veolia, a trusted organisation that provides innovative and bespoke environmental services, particularly in waste management. This partnership is bound together to provide Care England’s members with the best environmental solutions possible.

The importance of cost reduction and sustainability in the social care sector presents huge opportunities for care homes and communities. With the increase in focus and growing trend of sustainable practices, social care operations can prioritise long term sustainable goals whilst reducing overall costs.

The partnership between the two organisations will encourage cost optimisation through a number of tactics including efficient waste management solutions, resource efficiency through bespoke waste audits and regulatory compliance by meeting environmental standards.

Background

With any partnership, it is vital that the goals, objectives and priorities align with each other. Improving efficiency and sustainability lies at the heart of both organisations. Reducing operational costs, having a cost-saving approach to sustainable solutions and efficient resource management are focus areas that Veolia supports Care England to achieve. Another goal is delivering high quality care. With Veolia’s infrastructure and both organisations’ shared vision to maintain high facility standards, the services provided will be expert-led. Environmental responsibility also is a key shared goal. With a joint commitment and determination to achieve Net Zero, this partnership is an ideal match for future improvements.

Cost Reduction Strategies

Reducing Care England’s members’ costs while increasing their sustainable practices is a key message that needs to be followed through and actioned. Waste segregation and optimisation is a key element of Veolia’s waste management service. In addition, the implementation of Simpler Recycling-compliant recycling programmes will help shape the future of care homes’ sustainability efforts. Veolia can offer bespoke and tailored programmes to each care home no matter how small or large the facility is. Another key initiative Veolia offers is helping to reduce the overall volume of waste generated by members.

Waste management is a key challenge for the social care industry, with roughly 80% of the waste generated from care homes being municipal solid waste (MSW) made up of items such as food, packaging, and mixed recycling from residents’ rooms. This is followed closely by hazardous waste which is made up of approximately 15-20% of waste generated in the sector. These statistics show how important it is for the social care industry to adopt sustainability-focused waste management tactics. Veolia can help support these tactics by implementing waste management plans, tracking and assessing waste and implementing tailored recycling plans as well as providing training for staff. Additionally, resource conservation initiatives can be effectively implemented through the application of three core principles: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Applying these principles, with help from Veolia, can bring environmental protection, economic sustainability and help reduce the sector’s contribution to climate change.

Financial benefits and savings when working with Veolia

A key business objective for many organisations is to secure a stronger future while simultaneously optimising expenditure. Collaborating with Veolia can assist Care England’s members in achieving this objective through strategic waste optimisation methodologies. The implementation of the previously mentioned waste management services will bring numerous financial advantages for Care England’s members. These include, but are not limited to, decreased waste disposal costs facilitated by enhanced segregation and recycling, reduced procurement costs through carefully planned and executed waste reduction strategies, and access to Veolia’s highly innovative infrastructure for maximal cost optimisation. These examples illustrate how sustainable practices can lead to significant cost reductions for organisations. When contacting Veolia’s experts, a comprehensive overview of our waste management service offerings will be provided, along with tailored solutions leaving members well informed.

Using data to reduce costs via our customer hub

At Veolia, we use Management Information (MI) to drive continuous improvement and to ensure that Care England members can have the most efficient and cost effective waste collection systems in place. Veolia has made substantial investments in innovative technology and infrastructure in recent years. This commitment ensures the highest quality of management information, crucial for supporting their waste efficiency programmes.

Our waste efficiency programmes include:

Peer-to-Peer Analysis: Veolia can benchmark your performance against industry peers and between your sites using various methods and data sources. This involves:

• Internal Benchmarking: Leveraging your data to identify top-performing sites and compare them with underperforming ones. This process reveals best practices in resource efficiency and cost management that can be replicated across the company.
• Industry Data: Veolia utilises reports from your peers in the social care industry to benchmark your performance metrics. Best practices gained from our experience working with customers in your sector will be shared.
• Site Visits and Knowledge Sharing: Beyond data analysis, Veolia conducts thorough assessments of your facility, examining its unique characteristics and operational patterns. Through on-site evaluations and collaborative discussions with your team, we provide tailored insights into best practices and process improvements specific to your location’s needs and challenges.

Route Optimisation: Veolia uses telematics data, GPS tracking, and route optimisation software to analyse and optimise waste collection routes. By identifying the most efficient routes, reducing travel distances, and improving fleet utilisation, Veolia improves the efficiency and sustainability of its waste management operations.

Weight Analysis: Weighing your waste containers to understand how sites are utilising capacity. This enables Veolia to reassess container size, numbers, and collection frequencies as your needs change. We also work to understand seasonal trends to ensure schedules are flexed to align with demand.

The Customer Hub is designed to ensure that we are completely transparent with your data and that you have comprehensive, live access to the key partnership metrics. When embarking on a contract with Veolia, Care England’s members will be given a National Account Manager who will utilise the information from the Hub during your monthly review meetings to gain further insight into your required wants and needs.

Reduce costs and carbon emissions with Veolia’s recycling programmes.

Through effective and strategic recycling programme implementation, the social care sector has the ability to increase sustainability while reducing costs. Veolia can offer several waste recycling programmes. The social care industry often handles confidential waste, including sensitive documents and records, this requires secure shredding and recycling practices for proper disposal – Veolia has a designated Vault team that can help with this specific requirement. For waste that can’t be recycled, Veolia offers Care England members a waste-to-energy solution. For food waste, we can convert this into biogas for energy through anaerobic digestion. These processes can significantly reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

Implementation Process: How Veolia Can Help Care England

Veolia can assist Care England’s members in implementing recycling programmes through a structured process. This typically begins with an initial assessment and consultation to understand the organisation’s waste management needs and future goals, including identifying relevant waste regulations for compliance. A key focus is ensuring the long-term effectiveness of these programmes. Veolia provides staff training on proper waste segregation and handling, empowering teams to operate independently. This is complemented by ongoing support and regular audits to ensure requirements are met and to facilitate continuous improvement of the recycling programmes.

With every partnership comes a timeline where key milestones should be achieved. When Care England’s members start that initial collaboration with Veolia, the steps start with setting the scene. Firstly, initial consultations and waste audits will be undertaken to build personal relationships with the two organisations. It is also important that an initial assessment of current waste management practises is done to understand areas of success and opportunities for improvement. In addition, to understand throughout the contract how well Veolia have performed, setting initial KPIs and metrics will help to see if members have achieved their goals and are satisfied with the outcome. The next phase consists of development of the customised waste management strategies. At Veolia, we offer bespoke, cost effective solutions which carefully need to be adapted to each company’s day to day activities. Working closely with the development team will allow visions to come to life. Staff training on new programmes designed and sessions on new processes will be delivered during this introduction stage.

After the first set of initiatives have taken place, a review of any progress will be made. Based on that review, adjustments of strategies and techniques will be made to constantly improve the waste management services. After this initial review has been done, implementation of more innovative techniques and strategies can be implemented through waste tracking software. These softwares can help organisations with streamlining waste management processes, improving compliance, and enhancing sustainability efforts.

Upon completion of the first full year of partnership with Veolia, an annual review and achievements consultation will be conducted. This will involve discussing key strengths and opportunities for improvement, as well as setting new goals and expectations for the upcoming year. Additionally, recycling programmes will be expanded and adapted to further enhance the partnership and its results. Following these specific and tactical steps, long-term sustainability goals will be developed.

Supporting the local community

A partnership with Veolia extends far beyond initial implementation, it delivers lasting positive impact across communities. By optimising operational efficiency and reducing costs for care homes, we enable these vital institutions to redirect resources toward enhanced resident care. This approach creates meaningful social value by supporting facilities that serve our most vulnerable community members, while simultaneously advancing sustainability goals and promoting economic resilience in the social care sector. The partnership’s benefits can be seen throughout the community, strengthening the foundation of essential care services while ensuring their long-term sustainability.

Testimonial

At Veolia, we take pride in what our existing customers have to say so we can prove to new organisations that the services we provide are to the highest standard and provide organisations with life changing experiences.

“At Advinia Healthcare, delivering high-quality care goes hand in hand with our commitment to environmental responsibility and operational excellence. Our partnership with Veolia Waste Management has been instrumental in helping us meet both goals.

Veolia has provided a reliable, efficient, and sustainable waste management solution across our care homes, helping us streamline our waste processes and reduce our environmental footprint. Their team’s proactive approach, regular communication, and tailored services have ensured compliance with all relevant regulations while supporting our sustainability objectives.

More than just a provider, Veolia has become a trusted partner—helping us educate our teams, manage resources more effectively, and work toward a cleaner, greener future for our Residents and communities.

We are proud of our partnership and look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts in raising environmental standards across the healthcare sector.”

— Mark Dale, Head of Hospitality, Advinia Healthcare

Conclusion

To conclude, this comprehensive partnership between Care England and Veolia represents a significant step forward in combining cost efficiency with environmental responsibility in the social care sector. The collaboration offers members access to innovative waste management solutions, data-driven optimisation strategies, and specialised recycling programmes, all while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Through Veolia’s expertise and infrastructure, care homes can expect reduced operational costs, improved sustainability practices, and enhanced resource management. The partnership’s success is already evident through positive testimonials and demonstrates a commitment to both environmental control and economic efficiency. With structured implementation processes, ongoing support, and community-focused initiatives, this partnership promises to deliver lasting benefits to the social care sector while contributing to broader sustainability goals and Net Zero targets.

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