FDBusiness.com

Greencore, a leading manufacturer of convenience foods in the UK, has outlined a new sustainability strategy which includes a range of pledges across the areas of sourcing, manufacturing, and community engagement. The pledges, which were presented at a seminar for investors and analysts, include commitments that all of the Group’s packaging will be recyclable or reusable by 2025, that food waste will be reduced by 50% by 2030, and that Greencore will operate with net zero emissions by 2040. Other notable commitments include:

• A fully recyclable sandwich skillet will be developed and brought to market in 2021
• A deforestation-free supply chain by 2025
• All raw materials will be sustainably sourced by 2030
• All surplus product will be donated to local communities by 2022
• Product development will be equally split between animal protein versus plant-rich alternatives by 2030.

Greencore’s sustainability credentials are already well established, and the pledges build on the strong progress that the Group has made in this area in recent years. For example, since 2018 Greencore has reduced its energy consumption by 10%, reduced its water usage by 9%, and cut its total net Scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions by 39%. In the areas of community engagement and social responsibility, in 2020 alone the Group donated over 1.5 million meals to people in need, and also created over 1,300 new permanent roles for people that were previously on agency contracts.

Commenting on the new sustainability strategy, 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.”

Further details on Greencore’s sustainability strategy and commitments can be found at: https://www.greencore.com/sustainability/