As one of the largest leisure operators in Northern Ireland, The Odyssey Trust Company contributes greatly to the economic and social fabric of our society. We also recognise the impact our businesses have on the environment around us.

We are committed to reducing our environmental impact wherever possible. Placing sustainability at the heart of what we do, we pride ourselves on our forward-thinking approach.

Environmental Highlights to Date

In 2017, we worked with SSE Airtricity to install 1,400 solar panels onto the roof of the Odyssey Complex. Covering an area of more than 2,300m2 – the equivalent to 12 tennis courts – the panels generate enough renewable energy from the sun to offset roughly 200 tonnes of harmful carbon dioxide emissions annually.

In 2018, we focused on waste and raising environmental awareness amongst staff and customers, developing processes that would support future sustainability. As a result, we won the Sustainable Transport Workplace Award.

In 2019, 95% of the waste generated at The SSE Arena, Belfast was either recycled or recovered at McQuillan Environmental. In the same year, 100% of the Food Waste from The SSE Arena was transported in environmentally friendly trucks for anaerobic digestion.

In 2019, W5 introduced reusable cups in cafes and removed all plastic packaging and utensils; replacing poly-carbon food boxes and plastic utensils with cardboard trays and wooden utensils.

These are just the beginning. Year in, year out, we are committed to making smarter, greener choices. We want to and will do more.

The next phase in our Sustainable Journey

We will put a full sustainability plan in place, detailing how we will continue to:

• Reduce our CO2 emissions;
• Minimise the use of fossil fuels;
• Reduce land fill waste;
• Increase the use of recycling;
• Measure and track our energy consumption to help shape our sustainability practices in the future.

We will also continue to share our insights and experience with employees, customers, stakeholders, schools and regulatory bodies and share environmental best practice with other leading venues, tourism and leisure venues.

We continually review and develop our environmental and sustainability policies to ensure legal compliance and best practice across all aspects of our business.