Sherwood's Incredible Zero Waste Policy

As one of Queenstown’s most innovative dining spots, Sherwood has always marched to the beat of its own drum. And with the recent implementation of a zero waste to landfill policy at the bar, it seems the popular venue is showing no sign of joining the status quo.

Sherwood is a gem of a find overlooking Lake Wakatipu. Framed by a view to die for, Sherwood is much-loved by both locals and visitors for its funky hotel, restaurant, live music venue and yoga centre. Whether you’re at Sherwood for a night’s rest or a night out, you can’t help but be charmed by the quirkiness, good vibes and soul-warming dishes.

But when it comes to sustainability, Sherwood doesn't take things lightly. When they talk about acting responsibly, you know there’s not a hint of “green wash” to be found. And the zero waste to landfill policy is a testament to that.

Now, before we go on, stop and consider the concept of a bar sending absolutely no waste to landfill. A place that is normally awash with more single-use glass bottles, plastic straws and paper napkins than you could shake a non-recyclable stick at. 

Getting to know your rubbish

So, how does Sherwood achieve zero waste to landfill in a bustling restaurant bar?

Sherwood’s Restaurant Manager, Fraser Brown, spearheads the restaurant’s zero waste policy and tells us how it’s done.

“It’s a conscious effort from Sherwood’s directors and their ideas, through to all the members of staff,” says Fraser. “All of us here want to make a change, and we’ve got this fantastic platform to make those changes." 

“Every night we can show our efforts to customers. It’s a great place to be able to be an eco-warrior and make a change and make a difference.”

The very first task in implementing the zero waste policy was saving up all of the bar’s waste for a week and laying it out for examination. By inspecting everything that ended up in the bin, staff were able to analyse the rubbish and either stop using it or find ways to reuse it. 

Hold the glass, thanks

For Fraser to implement an effective policy, he wanted to focus on reduction as a far more valuable practice than recycling. The first target was glass. All bottled beers were stopped and all beer arrived by keg instead.

The wine presented a slightly greater challenge. But the free-thinking Sherwood team soon overcame the problem and implemented ‘keg wines’ instead. Working with local wineries, Sherwood sources wine by the keg. Not only does it remove the need for single-use wine bottles but it also removes the nationwide journey that most wine takes when moved around by a wine distributor.

So, what do customers think when they are served a wine bottle without a label, or a glass of wine from a keg?

“Over 90% [of customers] have a positive reaction towards what we’re doing, particularly with our wine keg programme,” explains Fraser.

“There’s a huge acceptance out there once we explain a little about what’s going on. The customers are really into and are really amped by it.”

Cleverly, 200ml tonic bottles are the ideal size for serving cocktails. And other glass bottles are washed and re-used. This practice not only saves the glass from the bin but also reduces the company’s rubbish removal costs. 

The bar still has some glass bottles to deal with. Fraser wasn’t happy to see glass recycled via the standard practice of grinding it up as aggregate for roading so instead, he struck up a deal with a foundry in Auckland who turns used glass back into glass bottles.

Corks are re-used, and bar napkins have been replaced with cloth napkins. A supersized composter called a biothermic digester burns through 100kg of waste per week pleasantly turning it into healthy soil to nourish the restaurant's vegetable and herb garden.

Good times and good practice

With a massive investment of time and energy, Fraser and his team have created something that is making a huge difference not only for the bar but also for our planet. The fact that the policy is also helping the restaurant save money just seems like icing on the organic cake. 

Fraser sums it up well. “At the end of the day, the customer’s experience is paramount. What they want and what they enjoy - you don’t want that to change because you’re doing something environmental."

"But we’ve managed to provide customers with a unique product that still manages to exceed what they're looking for. And they still have a really great time!” 

Fraser and the Sherwood team know that when you live in an environment as breathtakingly beautiful as Queenstown, it’s easy to find inspiration to protect our natural resources.