Case studies
Click on a heading from the list below to view the case study.
- Bags are now paper, not plastic, in Primark stores
- Health & social care programmes at Illovo, Africa
- Primark’s focus on ethical trading standards
- Fairtrade sugar from Billington’s
- Renewable Energy
- ACH supports breast cancer charity
- AB Agri WildCare scheme
- Green tomatoes
- The power of Primark
- Mauri chooses bio-gas
- Twinings' approach to ethical sourcing
- Improving sustainability at every stage of sugar production
- Environmentally friendly
- Web accessibililty
- Satellite tracking
- Ovaltine school sampling
- Topsoil
- Environmental protection
1. Bags are now paper, not plastic, in Primark stores
Primark has taken a leading position in the move to reduce the environmental impact of packaging. Our stores now use paper bags manufactured from recycled paper and printed with modern environmentally friendly inks.
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2. Health & social care programmes at Illovo, Africa
Access to healthcare is provided to all employees and their dependants, either through a network of group-run facilities or by the provision of insurance schemes.
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3. Primark’s focus on ethical trading standards
Primark is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) as part of its structured and transparent approach to ensuring its suppliers comply with a Code of Conduct. The implementation of an extensive audit programme, undertaken by independent specialists, has been strengthened by the addition of our own Ethical Trading Managers based in the main producing regions.
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4. Fairtrade sugar from Billington’s
Billington’s Fairtrade sugars are sourced from Malawi and Zambia in Africa. The Fairtrade premium paid helps fund development projects such as providing safe drinking water, medicines, electricity to farms and the building of community health clinics.
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5. Renewable Energy
Almost half of the power consumed worldwide by ABF is derived from renewable resources In Zambia, in contrast to normal practice, the ‘cane-trash’ in the fields is not burnt but is collected, baled, ground and mixed at the factory with bagasse, the fibrous residue remaining after the extraction of sucrose from sugar cane. This combined material is then used as a bio-renewable energy source in sugar factory boilers to generate electricity. This electricity meets the power requirements of the sugar factory and the irrigation systems used for cane growing.
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6. ACH supports breast cancer charity
ACH’s ‘cause related marketing’ programme ‘Bake for the Cure’ involves activities such as baking contests using Fleischmann’s Yeast. In addition to contestant prizes, it will donate a minimum of $250,000 to the breast cancer charity Susan G Komen for the Cure, from this campaign and ‘proof of purchase’ promotions on selected brands.
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7. AB Agri WildCare scheme
In conjunction with Waitrose, Dairy Crest and The Wildlife Trusts, AB Agri is acting as the independent consultant and farm assessor for the WildCare scheme.
This sustainable supply chain scheme delivers Waitrose Select Farm Milk from British farms chosen for their high standard of milk quality and their commitment to encouraging wildlife.
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8. Green tomatoes
The business, established in 2000, is based near
Downham Market in Norfolk and is the UK’s largest
producer of classic round tomatoes. Located next
to the Wissington sugar factory it is able to use
waste heat and carbon dioxide produced as part
of the sugar manufacturing process. Improvements
in energy efficiency have facilitated this expansion.
The use of low grade heat and carbon dioxide,
which would otherwise be lost to the atmosphere,
enables British Sugar to improve the overall cost
effectiveness of its Wissington operation as well
as reducing its environmental impact.
There will also be a welcome reduction in food miles
as a consequence since increased production from
the site will be used to supply the UK tomato market
where more than 83% of volume is currently imported.
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9. The power of Primark
Green is the new black at Primark after it struck an innovative deal with its
UK electricity suppliers. Under the arrangement the company’s entire energy
consumption is sourced against the green power generated and sold into the
grid by sister company, British Sugar. This power is generated by low carbon
fuel-efficient CHP (combined heat and power) plants which reduce fossil fuel
use by 25%. Conventional electricity generation… so ‘last season’!
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10. Mauri chooses bio-gas
AB Mauri in Hull is set to reduce its consumption
of electricity generated by fossil fuel by more than
25%. It has added to its existing natural gas powered
CHP generator a further on-site generator which
burns bio-gas captured during the yeast production
process. Not only does Mauri benefit from this highly
cost-effective, renewable power source but the
environment benefits from the reduced emissions.
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11. Twinings' approach to ethical sourcing
Twinings is a founder member of The Ethical Tea Partnership, (formerly The Tea Sourcing Partnership) which was set up in April 1997 and which represents most of the major UK tea companies. The members have joined together to share responsibility for the social and ethical conditions involved in the sourcing of tea and share three core beliefs:
- We have a shared responsibility for the social and ethical conditions involved in sourcing the tea we buy.
- Activities in this area should be non-competitive and apolitical.
- We respect the cultural and legislative differences in tea producing countries and seek to work closely with producers.
Five main areas are independently audited in relation to achieving the above:
- Employment (including minimum age and wage levels)
- Education
- Maternity
- Health and safety
- Housing
The ETP is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative, a UK government-backed strategic alliance between the commercial sector, trades unions and non-governmental organisations.
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12. Improving sustainability at every stage of sugar production
British Sugar is recognised internationally as the most efficient sugar manufacturer in Europe. The company transforms all of its inputs into sustainable products.
Nothing is wasted. After the sugar is extracted, the sugar beet is marketed for high energy animal feed and molasses, the final syrup, is used as a feedstock by the fermentation industry. The small amount of soil adhering to the sugar beet is marketed to landscapers, architects and farmers, ensuring that this valuable non-renewable resource is used in a sustainable way. The lime products produced as part of the purification process are sold for soil conditioning. Even the stones delivered along with the sugar beet are separated, graded and washed and sold to the construction industry.
All factories generate their own electricity using the combined heat and power process (CHP). At several factories, more electricity is generated than the factory requires and the excess is sold to the electricity supply companies and is probably the cleanest fossil fuel electricity available.
Hot water and carbon dioxide from Wissington's CHP plant are pumped to a glasshouse to help with the production of tomatoes, rather than being released into the atmosphere. These by-products are utilised to maintain a warm temperature in the glasshouse and provide the necessary elements for photosynthesis. As a result, British Sugar is the UK's largest grower of classic round salad tomatoes producing over 34 million tomatoes each year between April and November.
British Sugar is also investing in the production of biofuels from sustainable, renewable crops such as cereals and sugar beet. Introduction of a biofuels industry would benefit the environment by reducing harmful carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% compared with fossil fuels such as petrol.
The environmental benefits of sugar beet growing in the UK have been recognised in a UK Government Report.
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13. Environmentally friendly
George Weston Foods participates in Australia’s National Packaging Covenant. Overall they have reduced virgin packaging by more than 480 tonnes, reduced packaging waste by almost 200 tonnes and diverted 2,300 cubic metres of waste from landfill annually.
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14. Web accessibililty
Associated British Foods regards its corporate website as an important tool for communicating with investors and other stakeholders. We want to make this important resource of public information as inclusive as is practical.
The quality and accuracy of the site has not been in question and it has been judged in the top ten of FTSE company sites for the last two years. The site has however been relaunched in October 2004 using the latest technology to ensure that all sections of the community without discrimination can access the information.
For many disabled people, their computers represent a lifeline to the outside world where they can perform equally with a non-disabled person. This need is recognised in the UK in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which, as well as covering physical access to buildings and services, was amended to specifically cover websites and other electronic media. www.abf.co.uk
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15. Satellite tracking
Allied Bakeries have installed satellite tracking in nearly 1,000 delivery vehicles. The system tracks the vehicles in real time showing routes taken and distance travelled. In 2003/4 Allied Bakeries reduced mileage by 10% and fuel use by 4%, saving 3/4 million litres of diesel compared with the previous year.
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16. Ovaltine school sampling
In 2002 the ‘Rak Sulkhapap’ programme was introduced into schools in Thailand. In co-ordination with the Ministry of Health approximately 2,400 schools are visited annually to educate Thai people in the importance of good nutrition, exercise and rest.
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17. Topsoil
Annually British Sugar receives up to 400,000 tonnes of soil with the sugar beet it purchases from UK farmers. This high quality topsoil is recovered and marketed under the TOPSOIL brand. It has been successfully used on many projects including landscaping around the City of Manchester Stadium, the home of Manchester City FC. Over the last decade, the TOPSOIL business has grown from 30,000 tonnes to around 170,000 tonnes per annum, establishing it as the largest supplier in the UK.
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18. Environmental protection
ABNA’s Sherburn mill became the first compound animal feed mill in the UK to be awarded the British Standards Institute’s ISO International Environmental Management Standard.
This is an exacting process which scrutinises all aspects of the mill’s environmental operations and waste management licensing.
Sherburn carried out a study to assess how the mill’s operations impacted on the local environment and had to identify ways in which the business could become more energy efficient.
The mill has already changed its oil-fired boiler to one powered by gas, which has significantly reduced its carbon dioxide emissions.
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