Going Circular in the City: Wren Urban Nest’s Waste Reduction Success with KeyGreen

The Background

Wren Urban Nest, a design-led sustainable hotel in the heart of Dublin, is built
around the principles of minimal environmental impact and maximum guest
comfort. As Ireland’s first net carbon hotel, Wren Urban Nest is no stranger to
innovation in sustainability. In early 2025, they partnered with KeyGreen to
further improve internal waste segregation practices and elevate team
education ensuring day-to-day operations align with their strong environmental
ethos.

The Challenge

Like many hospitality providers, Wren Urban Nest faced challenges with food
waste ending up in General Waste due to limited disposal points in guest areas
and occasional inconsistent segregation practices in back-of-house operations.
Reception and staff were already committed to recycling, but clearer systems
and support were needed to take the next step forward.

The Solutions

Following a site visit and sustainability assessment, KeyGreen supported Wren
Urban Nest with a tailored action plan, including:

• Enhanced signage and bin labelling in the kitchen, bar and reception – making
  it easy for staff to dispose of waste correctly.
• Introduction of compost bins in service areas to capture food waste and tissues,
  previously lost to general waste.
• Team training sessions delivered on-site, covering what goes in each stream
  and why it matters.
• Compost produced to be repurposed for the indoor plants on-site, showcasing
  circular sustainability in action.

The Result

• 37% increase in Organic Waste diversion
• Reduced General Waste by 19%.
• Strengthened internal staff awareness and engagement.
• 8kg of compost generated from Organic Waste directly utilised for the hotels
  indoor planting.

Period: Jan–July 2025 vs. Jan–July 2024

“I am thrilled with the progress we have made in the last few months by introducing small changes & tweaks to our daily operation here in Wren. Improved bin labelling alongside a heightened focus on staff training (particularly our Kitchen team) has led to tangible improvements in our general waste management. As a fully net-zero carbon hotel, we must continue to strive towards improving how we operate day-to-day, and rest on our past sustainable achievements. Nurturing a culture of sustainable thinking is vital, and the solutions and advice offered by Oscar & the KeyGreen team has set us on the right path to achieve these results!”

Darren Newman General Manager of Wren Urban Nest, Dublin City

Looking Ahead

Building on these early successes, Wren Urban Nest plans to explore guest facing
signage enhancements, as well as ongoing continuous training with staff
to maintain awareness and engagement.

Wren Urban Nest’s progress demonstrates the importance of ongoing
continuous improvement to support their sustainable ethos.

KeyGreen are committed to partnering with businesses like Wren Urban Nest to
enable us to build a more sustainable future together.