Significant investment in solar energy at GWP Group

GWP Group has invested £235K to install solar panels at our Cricklade manufacturing site.

Renewable energy experts Clean Earth supplied and managed the installation of the solar panels.

The 380kW solar PV system installation, completed in early July, is expected to generate 40% of our total electricity requirement.

Switching to renewable energy should also result in carbon savings of approximately 70 tonnes per year and 1,750 tonnes over the systems expected 25-year lifespan.

Ruth Cook, Managing Director at GWP, commented:

Although as part of the packaging industry, we have always been focused on how we can reduce the environmental impact of our customers’ packaging – through minimising material usage, efficient transport and innovative design – this project will be a real step forward for our own business.

She continued:

The carbon-free energy provided by installing these solar panels will have a significant impact on the sustainability of our operations.

Having become part of Macfarlane Packaging 3 years ago, GWP has renewed its focus on minimising the environmental impact of its operations to support the Group’s Environment, Social and Governance strategy.

David Patton, Head of Sustainability at Macfarlane Packaging, added:

A key area we are focused on across our business is to maximise the energy we use from renewable sources. One of the ways we are doing this is by installing solar panels across our Group operations. It made complete sense to undertake our next installation at GWP, where many customers are already receiving packaging delivered by our fully electric delivery vans.

Following an extensive due diligence and tendering process, GWP chose CleanEarth to supply and install the new solar PV system.

Established in 2010, CleanEarth has undertaken a significant number of renewable energy projects across the UK. This equates to having completed 40+ wind turbine developments and installed over 700 solar PV systems.

Their expertise and proven track record in delivering cost-saving, clean energy to businesses made them the ideal partners for GWP’s solar plans.

Besides installing solar panels, GWP has completed several other sustainability projects.

Initiatives include switching all lighting to LED, improving the efficiency of waste recycling (both in our production facility and office environment), and investing in a fully electric delivery van.

Besides this, all of the corrugated packaging GWP supplies is FSC-certified by default (you can see the range of FSC-certified packaging here). Our design team was also recognised for its eco-friendly packaging designs through numerous Starpack Awards.

Moving forward, plans are in place to significantly improve wastewater handling throughout the production cycle and an ongoing commitment to a range of sustainable packaging accreditations.

For further information on how GWP minimises environmental impact and drives sustainable change throughout our business, please view our sustainability info.