Brussels/Bristol – 01 April 2026 – Lloyds Banking Group is officially a candidate for Zero Waste Business Certification, with its Bristol office leading the way as the first to enter the program. By joining the Certification programme run by the Mission Zero Academy (MiZA), Lloyds becomes the first organisation in the UK to embark on the certification journey, positioning the Bristol office as a flagship site to learn, refine, and eventually scale sustainable best practice across its national estate. .
The achievement represents a significant transformation in waste management practices, with the Bristol office increasing its recycling rate rise to consistently over 70%. This is a major improvement from an initial situation where most general and food waste was sent to landfill or incineration.
With the groundwork and good practices already established by Lloyds Banking Group Bristol at the start of the certification process, the goal is to expand the Certification process across the Group’s entire estate—including all branches, offices, and data centres—by 2030.
MiZA’s 2025 gap analysis for Lloyds Banking Group Bristol revealed that the bank is close to obtaining full Certification. The bank’s immediate actions to become a Zero Waste Certified Business include:
- Paper waste reduction through digitalisation.
- A reusable coffee cup system for the building.
- Reuse and repair actions for office furniture and equipment.
- Eliminate single-use products from Lloyds’ operations, especially in their cafeteria.
- Food waste reduction through improved kitchen operations and proper waste disposal.
‘The impressive improvements in the waste prevention and recycling results in Bristol set a powerful point of reference for both the rest of the Lloyds Banking Group estate and other organisations in the UK.’ added MiZA Director Kaisa Karjalainen, congratulating the Lloyds team on their progress. ‘When combining extensive collaboration, a continuous improvement mindset, and genuine dedication, businesses can achieve goals that may initially seem like an impossible mission, such as zero waste.’
As part of its road towards Certification, Lloyds Banking Group Bristol will continue to invest in staff training and communications about its zero waste vision and the actions needed. This includes not only its in-house teams but also externalised building services, such as its restaurant, cleaning, and building management personnel.
MiZA’s Zero Waste Business programme is a European initiative designed to assist businesses in transitioning to zero waste and circular economy practices. The Certification is designed to, among other benefits, help organisations go above and beyond EU and national regulations, reduce their environmental impact, improve resource management and operational efficiency, and encourage adaptability and innovation in a changing market. MiZA’s Certifications were designed taking into account over a decade of experience and learnings from its sister organisation, the environmental network Zero Waste Europe.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Press contacts
Mission Zero Academy: Ana Oliveira | news@missionzeroacademy.eu
About the Mission Zero Academy
Settled in Brussels (Belgium) as the spin-off of the European non-governmental organisation Zero Waste Europe, the Mission Zero Academy (MiZA) is the go-to academy for zero waste and circular economy training for municipalities and SMEs. With a focus on evidence-based and expert-approved methods, our mission is to accelerate Europe’s transition towards zero waste and circular economy implementation.Thanks to qualified expert training and tried-and-tested solutions, our Zero Waste Cities Certification and Zero Waste Business Certification have been developed to support cities’ and SMEs’ transition towards zero waste. We encourage them to commit to more ambitious and sustainable goals while certifying their journey along the way. www.missionzeroacademy.eu
