Greencore, a UK manufacturer of convenience foods, has outlined a new sustainability strategy that includes a range of pledges across the areas of sourcing, manufacturing, and community engagement.
The company has pledged to make all of the group's packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, reduce food waste by 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.
Highlights
The strategy also includes developing a fully recyclable sandwich skillet, which is to enter the market in 2021, a deforestation-free supply chain by 2025, and sustainable sourcing of all raw materials by 2030.
The company also plans to donate all surplus products to local communities by 2022 and split product development equally between animal protein and plant-rich alternatives by 2030.
Greencore has been making substantial progress in the area of sustainability in recent years.
Since 2018, the company has reduced its energy consumption by 10%, water usage by 9%, and its total net Scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions by 39%.
In 2020 alone, the manufacturer donated over 1.5 million meals to people in need in the areas of community engagement and social responsibility.
'Resilient Food System'
Patrick Coveney, chief executive officer of Greencore, said, "At Greencore, we are passionate about playing our part in building a fairer and more resilient food system for generations to come.
"We want to ensure that our actions and products make a real difference in improving people's lives – whether it's through the provision of tasty, healthier, affordable food, gainful employment, or social development. The pledges that we have made reflect our long-term ambitions for sustainability, as well as our confidence that we can realise them."
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
