Community and companies come together to clean up forest

Residents of Cannock Chase and the wider community came together to participate in a woodland clean organised by Punch Pubs & Co in partnership with Molson Coors Beverage Company and Biffa.

Following the success of the businesses’ beach tidy-up in April, Punch Pubs undertook a woodland clean on August 20, where members of the community, Cannock Chase MP Josh Newbury, Punch people and partners ventured into The Chase’s vast woodland.

The 100 volunteers collected 73kg of waste, which has since been placed into Biffa’s respected commodity markets.

After the woodland clean, participants gathered at The Hen House pub in Cannock, run by Management Partner, and current Punch Pubs Sustainability Champion, Mike Lenthall.

Punch Pubs’ strategic corporate affairs, Jon Dale, who helped organise the clean, said: "I'm incredibly proud of the team of volunteers and community members, who have shown up today to demonstrate their commitment to driving change and protecting an area of natural beauty for future generations.

"I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who not only took part but who also worked hard to make this event happen."

Liam Woods, Corporate Account Manager, Biffa, said: “Looking after the environment is a key part of what we do, whether that's helping homes and businesses recycle more, creating renewable energy from waste or growing our fleet of net zero vehicles.

"We also love to get involved in community clean-up projects like this.

"Litter not only looks unsightly, but it's also a threat to wildlife and prevents perfectly good materials like plastic and glass from being recycled.

"Earlier this year we worked alongside Punch Taverns on a beach clean-up in Cornwall, so we were delighted to roll up our sleeves once more and help preserve the natural beauty of Cannock Chase for everyone to enjoy."

Ashley Robinson, national account manager at Molson Coors Beverage Company, said: “Reducing waste is a huge priority for us at Molson Coors but we know we can’t achieve our waste reduction goals by working alone, which is why we’re always keen to foster collaboration among businesses and consumers alike.

“We’re proud to have achieved zero waste to landfill at all our production sites already but through initiatives like the woodland clean we can bring together local businesses and the community to create a sustainable future for everyone and encourage more environmentally friendly behaviour in the future."

Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for communities and culture, said: “I would like to thank all the volunteers from Punch Pubs & Co, Biffa and Molson Coors for helping to tidy up our stunning woodland in Cannock Chase.

“We have seen a marked increase in visitors during and after the pandemic as residents rediscovered the natural beauty on their doorsteps.

"Therefore, it is just as important as ever for us to look after Staffordshire’s countryside so we can continue to enjoy it for many years to come.

“This is why we are investing £18 million into improving our country parks at Cannock Chase and Chasewater as well as the 92-mile Staffordshire Way.

"The county council has also developed a Natural Environment Strategy to support nature recovery and tackle climate change.”