Sustainability reporting and targets

Electric use makes up approximately 38% of GWP’s carbon emissions.

As a manufacturer, the equipment used to produce customers’ packaging is relatively energy intensive. However, having invested significant sums in modern equipment, GWP is confident that production processes are more efficient than most competitors.

However, to further minimise environmental impact, GWP is committed to the following:

• Installing solar panels by the end of 2023 (expected to generate up to a third of electricity use).
• Undertaking an ESOS audit to discover further efficiency opportunities.
• Installing light sensors to complement a switch to LED lighting.
• Paying a premium to source residual renewable energy from the grid through utilities providers.

You can view further details of the steps GWP is taking to reduce emissions from energy use in the environment section.

Emissions from GWPs’ fleet of delivery vehicles account for approximately 36% of total scope 1 and 2 emissions.

To address this, whilst maintaining the high levels of service that your business relies on, GWP is implementing the following:

• Adding a fully electric 3.5-tonne Luton van to the delivery fleet by Q2 2023 (annual tCO2e saving approx XXper year).
• Half of GWP company cars to be electric by 2030.
• Installing new electric charging points at GWP’s Cricklade site to support the switch to electric vehicles.
• Launching a driver incentive scheme to promote optimal driving behaviour and reduce fuel consumption.
• Use advanced routing software to efficiently plan loads and routes when delivering to customers.
• Liaise directly with customers to review delivery dates and schedules.

For further details of how GWP plans to manage transport and minimise emissions moving forward, please view the environment section of this guide.

LPG (liquified petroleum gas), used to power GWP’s fleet of forklift trucks, accounts for approximately 8% of total scope 1 and 2 emissions.

To reduce this, GWP is to:

• Potentially replace existing forklifts with electric equivalents at the end of current lease agreements.
• Implement improved warehouse organisation and scanning systems to minimise distances travelled.

Gas and oil used for heating offices and production areas account for approximately 12 per cent of total emissions at GWP.

Steps to potentially reduce this include:

• Exploring the possibility of installing a new, energy-efficient boiler and heating system.
• Ensuring staff have appropriate uniforms for varying conditions.
• Undertaking an ESOS audit to highlight any efficiency gains (e.g. building insulation).

When considering current calculations, the paper (i.e. corrugated cardboard) used to manufacture accounts for approximately two-thirds of GWP’s scope 3 emissions.

To help reduce the overall emissions this generates, GWP is committed to the following:

• Sourcing material from suppliers with robust sustainability targets and practices.
• Using FSC-certified material by default.
• Designing packaging that minimises material use without sacrificing performance.
• Using lighter-weight papers where this does not compromise the strength, appearance or protection offered by your packaging.
• Ensuring recycling of all waste and offcuts as part of a circular, closed-loop setup.

Plastics, including Correx, foam and other materials used for packaging production, account for around a quarter of tCO2e emissions when considering current scope 1, 2 and 3 calculations.

To minimise the short-term impact, and lower emissions over the longer term, GWP aims to:

• Ensure the use of plastics only where reusability is a crucial driver of sustainability (and not for single-trip applications).
• Conduct product life cycle assessments (LCA) to determine when returnable packaging is more sustainable than single-trip options.
• Ensure all waste material is collected and recycled where appropriate.
• Use material with at least 30% recycled content where possible.
• Explore options for replacing plastics with paper-based alternatives where this does not impact packaging performance or excessive use of paper.

GWP uses wood as part of certain packaging products. Mainly, however, wood is used as pallets to ship products to customers.

Although only accounting for around 1.5% of total emissions (based on current calculations), GWP is taking steps to ensure that:

• Pallets are returned to GWP to ensure use over multiple journeys.
• Consideration of pallet-less deliveries where appropriate.
• Ensure any timber used originates from sustainable sources (e.g. FSC).