News release Drayton Manor Theme Park is the first UK family owned theme park to hit the magic…zero! It’s not often that nothing is celebrated, but when it comes to waste the award-winning Drayton Manor Theme Park loves to celebrate nothing, because this is exactly how much waste it sends to landfill, making it the first family owned theme park in the UK to achieve this. Over the past few years, Drayton Manor, near Tamworth, Staffordshire, has invested considerable resources into planning and implementing a wide range of environmentally friendly policies, which have all contributed to waste reduction. As a result of these policies, the park has officially reduced the total amount of waste it sends to the landfill! For example, around 50 tonnes of cardboard is crushed on-site and is taken away for recycling, instead of being taken to landfill. Additionally, all waste cooking oil is collected and turned into biofuel, which is then used to power the trucks that deliver the park’s food. This initiative has resulted in the park receiving a certificate of carbon saving for achieving annual CO2 savings of 26.85 tonnes within its supply chain by recycling the waste cooking oil via the Bidvest zero recycling scheme. Bidvest 3663 is a leading foodservice wholesale distributor and supply partner for more than 60,000 customers in the UK. The park’s other waste reduction initiatives include: ECO compactor used on-site for zoo waste, trees, cardboard, broken palates and general recyclable waste mulched for natural composting, which diverts thousands of tons from the landfill. Recycling centre built on-site with facilities to sort and process via; - Cardboard and plastic baling - Metal recovery skip - Wood skip for recycling - Food waste composting system - Hazardous Waste recycling system Recycle bottles, glasses, office equipment, paper and fluorescent tubes. Carrier bags are 100% biodegradable. Battery recycling facilities in shops around park to encourage correct disposal of used ones. Portion control within the catering facilities on site to prevent food waste. Marc Tierney, the park’s general manager for catering and waste operations, said: “Drayton Manor produces in the region of 600 tonnes to 800 tonnes of waste per year, so it’s hugely satisfying to know that none of this goes to the landfill. “As a family-owned and run attraction, Drayton Manor is able to implement, adapt and run a variety of environmentally-friendly initiatives. We firmly believe in operating a sustainable, green business and are committed to helping save energy and protect the environment. “Waste management starts with prevention. An example of this can be seen in our food outlets, which all have a number of processes in place to reduce the amount of food wasted. These include sophisticated stock control and ordering systems, as well as closely monitored production management methods.” The 2014 main season runs until Sunday 2nd November. The Fireworks Spectacular weekend is 1st and 2nd November and the award-winning Magical Christmas is back from 22 November. See the brand new website at www.draytonmanor.co.uk for more details. For regular updates and news about Drayton Manor Theme Park join us on Twitter www.twitter.com/Draytonmanor and Facebook www.facebook.com/DraytonManorPark -ENDS- Notes to Editor About Drayton Manor Drayton Manor Theme Park is one of the UK’s most popular family attractions with over one million visitors a year. Drayton Manor was first opened to the public by the current owners, the Bryan family, in 1950 after husband and wife co-founders, George, OBE, and Vera Bryan, converted 80 acres of derelict land, which once belonged to the former British Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel and his family, into a wonderful family attraction. Today, set in approximately 280 acres of beautiful woodland and countryside, the family owned and run Drayton Manor Theme Park features some of the biggest, wettest and scariest rides around, including Shock-wave, G-force, Maelstrom, and Apocalypse, as well as a 15-acre zoo, the hugely popular Thomas Land™ attraction, and a 4D Cinema. The park also has an onsite hotel. The four-star 150 bedroom Drayton Manor Hotel features Executive rooms, Presidential Suites and 15 Thomas & Friends™ rooms, as well as two bars, two restaurants plus The Grill Inn adjacent to the Hotel. About HIT Entertainment HIT Entertainment is one of the world's leading preschool entertainment companies, specializing in building powerful brands based on engaging stories. HIT Entertainment’s world-class portfolio includes Thomas & Friends®, Mike the Knight™, Fireman Sam®, Bob the Builder, Barney®, Angelina Ballerina®, Pingu® and Rainbow Magic®. HIT Entertainment excels at creating and building globally successful brands which capture the hearts and imaginations of preschoolers and their families. This is achieved through exceptional storytelling in multiple formats, enhanced by creating high quality character- based products and experiences with best-in-class partners. HIT Entertainment’s lines of business span television and home entertainment production, content distribution, digital media, publishing, consumer products and live events and attractions. HIT Entertainment is a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. For more information visit www.hitentertainment.com About Thomas & Friends™ Thomas the Tank Engine was created by a father for his son 69 years ago and today is enjoyed by families in more than 185 territories and in 30 languages. The #1 blue engine and his friends invite children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story. Children embark on adventures with their engine friends while experiencing timeless life lessons of discovery, friendship and cooperation. Thomas & Friends makes tracks to great destinations on PBS KIDS®, Sprout® and on Five’s Milkshake! and Nick Jr in the UK and on CCTV in China. Downloadable episodes are available through iTunes. For more information about the world of Thomas the Tank Engine™ and his friends, please visit www.thomasandfriends.com. .