Environmental Transparency and Responsibility
Our UK sites in Corby, Taunton and Maidenhead have sent zero waste to landfill for many years, recycling wherever possible and recovering energy from what remains. In parallel, our group-wide Pack D project is making packaging lighter, more recyclable and higher in recycled content.
Zero-to-landfill waste
For many years, our Corby, Taunton and Maidenhead production sites have been committed to achieving zero waste to landfill. Sending waste to landfill can have a significant environmental impact, as decomposing waste can generate greenhouse gas emissions and landfill sites may produce pollution, which can contaminate soil and water if not properly managed. Wherever possible, our waste is recycled. Any materials that cannot be recycled are either sent for energy recovery through incineration, which generates electricity, or processed through anaerobic digestion to produce renewable biomethane gas. We also work to minimise food waste. Cakes and desserts that have a short remaining shelf life or do not quite meet our usual high standards are sold at a discounted price in our Taunton shop. The shop is open to members of the public, providing an opportunity to purchase our delicious cakes and desserts without the need for a wholesale account.
Pack D
Our Pack D project is a group-wide initiative with several objectives, all focused on improving the sustainability of our packaging. The key aims of Pack D are to:
- Ensure that all virgin fibre packaging is sourced from 100% FSC- or PEFC-certified fibres.
- Increase the use of recycled fibre packaging where product safety and quality risks are adequately controlled.
- Work towards incorporating 60% recycled content into our plastic packaging, where feasible.
- Introduce and use packaging materials that have established recycling schemes in place.
- Work towards achieving 100% recyclable packaging across our portfolio.
- Reduce the weight of our plastic packaging to minimise material usage.
- Optimise pallet configurations and logistics to minimise the transportation of empty space and improve efficiency.
As part of this programme, we are actively increasing the recycled content of our packaging wherever possible. In the UK, we have already achieved 100% recycled content in our corrugated boxes. Our efforts extend beyond paper-based packaging and include plastic packaging solutions as well.
We have been working to increase the recycled content of products such as tapes and pallet wrap, particularly where the plastic is not in direct contact with food and therefore poses no product safety risk. In addition, we are focused on reducing packaging materials where possible and improving recyclability, ensuring that our packaging can be processed through existing recycling waste streams. We have also successfully ensured that our printed packaging is free from MOSH and MOAH (Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons and Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons). These potentially harmful substances can be present in printing inks used for packaging, and their elimination further supports the safety and sustainability of our packaging solutions.
