Sustainability | Greenham Site

We are committed to reducing our impact on the environment by considering our own actions and working with customers and suppliers to develop and implement solutions. All Bunzl businesses within UK & Ireland are ISO 14001 accredited as a key area of our Corporate Responsibility; ISO 14001 is an international standard for the design and implementation of effective environmental management systems. We are proud to hold the Gold status on the Supply Chain Sustainability School which shows our commitment to being an environmentally conscious business.

We have identified our major environmental impacts as:

• Fuel consumption related to transport of products to customers

• On-site energy consumption

• On-site waste management (predominantly transit packaging)

However, we are also aware of the impact our products can have on the environment. If you would like to know more about how some of our Exclusive Brand products and services have changed to reduce their impact on the environment, click here to see our Sustainability in Action information booklet.

Reduction of Carbon Footprint

Our total Scope 1 & 2 emissions have fallen by 19.06% from 2017 to 2018 and by a further 1.38% from 2018 to 2019.

Tonnes CO2 per £m of revenue for Bunzl Safety:

The majority of our Scope 1 emissions come from fuel used for our commercial and company vehicles, however this has fallen year on year since 2017. We are working on ways we can continue to drive emissions reductions throughout our operations, some of which are detailed below.

Fuel Consumption

Our fuel consumption has fallen 35.9% since 2012, with an average annual reduction of 6.1% due to changes in customer behaviour and the use of telematics. We utilise a vehicle telematics and route optimisation system called Verizon Connect throughout our fleet to plan efficient delivery routes. We also work with our customers to encourage placing fewer large orders rather than lots of small orders, which helps reduce the CO2 emissions associated with our deliveries. In addition to this, we have seen an increase in fuel efficiency as a result of driver training and in-cab driving feedback to improve our drivers’ driving styles and behaviour.

We regularly renew our fleet to ensure our operations continue to make use of improvements in emissions and efficiency technology. In some cases, we now use third party carriers for deliveries where it is more cost effective, whilst continuing to invest in innovative ways we can reduce our fuel consumption. Currently, we are fitting solar panels to our 7.5 tonne HGVs to power the tail lift and in-cab comforts, which removes the need for the vehicle to be kept idling.

Energy Consumption

We have seen a reduction in gas and electric consumption since 2012, with a 24.7% overall reduction from 2012 to 2019.

We have continued to implement a number of measures to reduce electricity consumption including the installation of LED lighting with PIR sensors to minimise electricity usage where there is sufficient time left on the building lease. We also work to make sure our new Service Centres make the most of natural light and meet higher energy efficiency standards.

100% of our electricity is now sourced from renewable zero carbon sources which includes solar and wind.

Water

Our use of water is primarily confined to workplace cleaning and hygiene purposes. As such, our water use and related emissions are minimal.

Waste

We work with customers and suppliers to promote waste reduction through the elimination of transit packaging. The company seeks to identify opportunities to substitute to more environmentally-friendly packaging with new developments in materials. We also make use of inbound packaging for outbound deliveries so fewer new boxes are required.

In 2019, we diverted 83% of our waste from landfill, with 93% of this getting recycled and the remaining 7% going to waste-to-power facilities. We are continually looking for better ways to prevent waste going to landfill.

We have partnered with Community Wood Recycling, so our wooden pallets can be recycled and reused in the most environmentally beneficial way, in 2019, Bunzl Greenham saved 85.6 tonnes of wood from landfill. As well as saving resources, the Community Wood Recycling scheme helps change lives too. In 2019, Community Wood Recycling provided training and work opportunities for over 850 local unemployed people and created 238 jobs.

The Group makes stock donations throughout the year, which prevents obsolete product lines from going to waste.

External Reporting

Bunzl Plc releases an Annual Sustainability Report which includes key performance indicators for Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon footprint reporting. View Bunzl Annual Sustainability Report 2019.

We are also listed on the CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) which includes Bunzl’s environmental performance ranking. The CDP is a not-for-profit organisation that works with the world’s largest investors, businesses and governments to drive greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

Community

At Bunzl Greenham, every employee is able to take one day’s volunteering leave paid by the company to support a cause of their choice, which could be going to a local school, or supporting any other charitable event/cause they choose. This means there are 4000 hours of action that can be taken every year.

3 out of 5 employees experience mental health issues because of work, we believe this needs to change. This is why we have chosen to continue to support Mates in Mind in 2020, having raised over £11,000 for the charity so far.

Mates in Mind is a leading UK charity that is changing the conversation around mental health at work. They do this by providing employers the skills, clarity and confidence to raise awareness, improve understanding and address the stigma around mental health in the workplace.

Together, we can be the change that is needed to improve workplace mental health.

If you’d like to know more you can visit their Mates in Mind website.

Staff Wellbeing

Our employees have access to a number of benefits intended to support mental, physical and financial wellbeing.

The Employee Assistance Programme ensures our employees always have support available for their mental health and wellbeing, whether it’s about personal, work, relationship or family matters. daily living or other life events.

Neyber is a free financial education and support service. Employees have access to affordable loans, which can be repaid straight from a team member’s salary for better financial wellbeing.

Yelp is an online training portal where employees have access to thousands of online courses. They are able to develop their talent professionally and personally without the need to travel to training centres. Courses available vary from corporate responsibility, to maths, to management and sales skills.

FTSE4Good & Ethibel

Bunzl is proud to be included on FTSE4Good and Ethibel indices as it shows our continued commitment to sustainability.

The FTSE4Good Index is a series of ethical stock market indices, started in 2001, that includes companies operating in line with certain environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. The index uses over 300 data points to assess companies performance across ESG practices, which allows responsible investors to understand a company’s management of ESG issues.

The Ethibel Sustainability Index measures the relevance of a company’s commitments, the efficiency of their managerial systems, their ability to manage risks and their performance on all ESG responsibility factors. The assessment is built on 3 pillars, leadership, implementation and results.

To be included on both indices shows that we see value in taking responsibility for our ESG practices.

Products

We have recently introduced our new range of eco-friendly catering equipment made from 100% recycled materials and are 100% recyclable. This range includes Compostable Tableware, Wooden Products, Premium r-PET Glasses.

Our Compostable Tableware is made from 100% rapidly renewable and reclaimed resources. The base material for this range is a by-product of wheat and is certified gluten free. It is unbleached and preferable to paper and wood pulp.

Great attention to detail is required when producing Wooden Products as only the finest grade of birchwood is employed, ensuring the quality of the finished products. Our wooden cutlery is designed with soft, smooth edges making them suitable for food use and these products are biodegradable, specially designed to disintegrate within months of disposal.

The Premium r-PET Glasses are made from food safe, 100% post-consumer waste from items such as water and soda bottles using carefully selected 100% recycled material, guaranteeing a high quality product with excellent clarity. The material used is collected, sorted, cleaned and re-ground before being used in manufacturing again, ensuring this valuable material has a second use and diverts it from landfill or our rivers, streams and oceans. The material is sourced from an EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) registered supplier in accordance with EU282/2008 regulation on recycled plastic materials. This product is also made in Europe which gives them a low carbon footprint and are still recyclable after use.

For more information about this range view Greenham Sustainable Cutlery brochure.

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