Wastewater Investment Improves Sustainability At GWP

A major step toward reducing our environmental impact

At GWP, sustainability is something that we live and breathe across every part of the business. From the packaging solutions we design, through to how we run our production sites, we are constantly looking for ways to minimise our impact on the environment.

Our latest investment is a brand-new wastewater treatment facility at our Cricklade manufacturing site. This system means we no longer need to transport around 350,000 litres of wastewater each year. Instead, we can now treat it safely on-site.

The benefits are immediate: reduced operational costs, less disruption on site, and a significant reduction in carbon emissions linked to transportation. But this investment is also about the bigger picture; it’s another step in our journey towards sustainability.

From tanker transport to onsite treatment
Like many manufacturers, our processes generate wastewater, primarily from cleaning the printing equipment used to produce high-quality packaging for our customers.

Until recently, the way we dealt with this was far from ideal. The wastewater that was generated had to be collected and stored in large tanks onsite before being pumped into tankers for transportation. Each tanker carried around 20,000 litres, and to be correctly treated, the waste had to be transported as far as the Midlands.

This system worked, but came with some obvious downsides:

• Significant transport emissions from regular tanker journeys.
• The need to dedicate valuable on-site space for storage.
• A higher risk of leaks and spills during storage or transfer.
• Additional costs and logistical complexity.

The new wastewater treatment system – which includes an equalisation tank, treatment tank, and filter press – solves all of these problems. Wastewater is now treated directly on site, with the processed water undergoing regular testing and inspections to ensure it complies fully with Environment Agency Standards.

As our Group Operations Manager, James Pedley, explains:
“The new equipment will make a significant difference to our operations. It will free up significant storage, make our processes much more efficient and minimise the potential for leads and wastewater spills.”

“Of course, there are a significant number of benefits too. By eliminating the transportation of significant volumes of wastewater, the associated carbon emissions are reduced.”

Complementing our sustainability initiatives
This wastewater treatment investment is far from an isolated project. It forms part of a much wider sustainability strategy that is transforming how we operate as a business.

In the past few years, we have introduced several significant changes, including:

• Converting all lighting across our Cricklade site to low-energy LED, significantly reducing electricity use.
• Adding electric delivery vehicles to our fleet, helping cut emissions from transport.
• Installing solar panels at our Cricklade site provides a renewable source of energy and reduces our reliance on the national grid.

Each of these initiatives plays its part in making us more sustainable as a business. But when combined, the benefits become even more powerful, helping us lower our environmental footprint, improve efficiency, and support our customers in reaching their own sustainability goals.

As Ruth Cook, our Managing Director, puts it:
“How we process wastewater is a crucial part of our ongoing sustainability strategy and complements the other initiatives we are implementing. We both understand and take very seriously our responsibility to the environment and to helping our customers achieve their sustainability targets, too.”

Supporting our customers
Sustainability is no longer simply about doing the right thing, it’s also something our customer expect and value. Many of the businesses that we work with, across sectors such as manufacturing, retail, and logistics, have ambitious environmental targets of their own.

By investing in projects like our wastewater treatment facility, we’re helping customers to reduce the environmental impact of their supply chain. When they choose GWP, they can be confident their packaging is produced in a way that aligns with their own sustainability commitments.

This approach also reflects our long-standing ethos of partnership. We don’t just supply packaging, we work with our customers to solve problems, reduce waste, and create solutions that balance performance, cost, and environmental responsibility.

Building a sustainable future
We’re proud of the progress we have made, but we also recognise that sustainability is an ongoing journey. The installation of our wastewater treatment facility is another important milestone, but it won’t be the last.

As a company employing around 100 people across our Cricklade and Salisbury sites, we’re determined to lead by example in our industry. Since becoming part of Macfarlane Group, we’ve been able to combine the strength of a large group with the agility and focus of a local manufacturer. That means we can continue to innovate, invest, and make changes that have a real, lasting impact.

For us, sustainability is about creating a business that’s ready for the future. A business that can offer customers innovative packaging solutions while protecting the planet we all share, and this latest investment is another step in the right direction.