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 has or is committed to the following:

• Invested £230k in solar panels in July 2024, which are expected to generate approximately 40% of our electricity.
• Undertaken an ESOS audit to discover further efficiency opportunities.
• Plan to install light sensors to complement a switch to LED lighting.
• Payi 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 our 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, we have or are planning on implementing the following:

• Added a fully electric 3.5-tonne Luton van to our delivery fleet in Q2 2023.
• Half of GWP company cars to be electric by 2030.
• Installed 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 we plan 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, we plan 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.
• Have undertaken an ESOS audit to highlight any efficiency gains (e.g. building insulation).

Scope 3 encompasses emissions not produced by and not the result of activities from assets owned or controlled by GWP. Instead, it covers emissions indirectly responsible for up and down the value chain.

GWP’s scope 3 figures remain a work in progress. Data includes the emissions associated with the material used to manufacture packaging. It does not currently contain info on non-product procurement, upstream distribution, downstream distribution, or capital or leased goods.

These figures will be updated as GWP gathers and audits the required information.

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

To help reduce the overall emissions this generates, we are 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, we aim 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, as well as for pallets to ship products to customers.

Although only accounting for around 1.5% of total emissions (based on current calculations), we are 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) and meets all regulatory requirements (e.g. ISPM 15).

Besides the immediate steps to limit our environmental impact, we are also exploring several longer-term plans.

As part of the wider Macfarlane Packaging group, a full Scope 3 analysis has been performed. Whilst this does not provide data specific to our activities at GWP, the report provides a number of areas where we can focus attention moving forward.

The scientific and widely accepted definition of net zero is to reduce carbon emissions by at least 90% before offsetting any other emissions.

As such, and at this time, we do not believe that offsetting through purchasing carbon credits is the best way to reduce environmental impact.

GWP and the wider Macfarlane Group are determined to avoid any element of “greenwashing”. Simply offsetting carbon emissions with little improvement of practices is not a sustainable approach.

Whilst carbon capture has merits and value, we plan to exhaust all other avenues to reduce emissions first. This focus includes improved efficiency, minimising energy use, switching to new technologies and renewables, working with suppliers that share GWP’s goals, and continuing to develop the product portfolio your business can source.