Annual report and accounts 2023 - Flipbook - Page 45
Strategic Report
We are in the important planning and preparation DRS
phase, working with our customers and CSL to ensure
as smooth a transition and as successful a scheme as
possible. By incentivising consumers to return their
drinks containers, DRS will set drinks packaging apart,
as drinks containers will become part of a truly
circular economy. In countries where DRS is already
operational, such as Norway and Germany, return rates
of plastic bottles for example reach as high as 98%.
Water and waste
As a multi-beverage business, water is a principal
ingredient, as well as a necessary resource we rely
upon across our operations. There is increasing
awareness of the challenges faced in managing water
resources and we are extremely aware of the part we
have to play in protecting this precious commodity.
Water is a key workstream within our No Time To Waste
environmental sustainability programme and in 2021
we undertook a detailed analysis of our water footprint
at all our production sites, working with an independent
agency to give us a better understanding of how and
where we use water. With this data we have developed
an evidence-based water strategy with tangible actions
in place for each of our sites over a three-year horizon.
As part of our sustainable sourcing strategy we also
know that the most significant water use in our value
chain is in agriculture. The crops that we rely upon
for many of our products, such as mangos, are grown
in hot, potentially water-stressed areas, and we are
working in partnership with our global suppliers to
encourage sustainable practices.
A key element of our internal water strategy is our focus
on cleaning procedures, where small changes can make
significant reductions in our water usage. We have also
focused on changing our own behaviours, supported
by our “Drop by Drop” awareness raising initiative and
an employee education and engagement campaign
coinciding with World Water Day in March. We are
pleased to report that our renewed water strategy
is already making a difference with year-on-year
improvements in our water usage efficiency against
our 2020 baseline. More information can be found in
our non-financial KPI section on page 32.
Corporate Governance
Accounts
In focus
The UK plastics pact
As part of our No Time To Waste environmental
sustainability programme, we are proud to have
become signatories to The UK Plastics Pact.
Once again we are pleased to have achieved our
long-term target related to waste. 100% of our
non-hazardous waste is diverted from landfill and
our objective is to maintain this performance on
a permanent basis.
Sustainable sourcing
As climate change and a rising population put pressure
on our limited natural resources, it is important for
all our raw materials to be sourced sustainably and
used effectively.
As one of our No Time To Waste workstreams,
sustainable sourcing is key to ensuring our high-quality
ingredients and materials are sourced and manufactured
in a fair, ethical and environmentally responsible way.
Our Supplier Code of Conduct, currently applicable
to both Barr Soft Drinks and FUNKIN, sets out the key
supplier principles we work to and the minimum
standards we require our suppliers to meet, which form
part of their contractual commitments to us. This Code
is fundamental to ensuring we work with suppliers who
uphold the highest standards with respect to human
rights, conditions of employment and who actively
reduce their environmental footprint. We ensure our
critical suppliers have embedded sustainable and ethical
practices in their organisations, and that they are
committed to maintaining these principles within their
own supply chain.
What is The UK Plastics Pact?
The UK Plastics Pact is a bold and unique
initiative that will transform the UK’s plastic
system. By bringing together the entire plastics
value chain behind a common set of ambitious
targets, it will move us towards a system which
keeps plastic in the economy and out of the
environment. It will encompass innovation,
research and new business models to rethink
and redesign what packaging we put on the
market in the first place, and how we can
encourage more reuse of packaging.
What will it achieve?
By 2025, The UK Plastics Pact will transform
the UK plastic packaging sector and help stop
plastics polluting the environment. Members
have signed up to the following targets:
•
•
•
•
Eliminate problematic or unnecessary
single-use packaging through redesign,
innovation or alternative (re-use) delivery
models
100% of plastic packaging to be reusable,
recyclable or compostable
70% of plastic packaging effectively recycled
or composted
30% average recycled content across all
plastic packaging
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