Regeneration
Operating beyond business as usual
Our thought leadership in sustainability differentiates us in the marketplace. We support this through our product and service offerings, how we operate and by applying the principles of continuous improvement across our direct and indirect operating environment. We use resources for as long as possible, maximising value extracted from them.
Goal:
Zero waste to landfill by 2021
We will put a full stop to waste
We have launched a zero-waste campaign engaging our people on what we want to achieve. All of our sites have identified where their waste comes from and connected with end-markets where this valuable waste can be put to better use. We are signed up to Operation Clean Sweep and partner with local recycling facilities to ensure the recycling of all waste generated.
Reducing our waste to landfill
We sought to introduce more waste recycling collection points across all our UK sites and to find a more sustainable recycling process for the waste generated by our label backing.
We partnered with the waste management company Biffa to identify solutions. We sourced and placed segregated plastic bins in our meeting rooms, with cardboard recycling bins installed in every office and each manufacturing unit. We also worked closely with a label supplier for them to recycle all label waste.
The immediate results were a reduction in average compactor collections, and a massive 50% drop in general waste costs, proving that zero waste is good for the environment and makes good business sense.
Goal:
Net carbon positive by 2030
We will leave a positive footprint
We set ourselves a challenging goal in line with the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference to become net carbon positive by 2030. This means we will create environmental benefits by removing additional carbon emissions from the atmosphere. We will achieve it through a series of actions including:
- Quantifying the carbon impact of our scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions (direct and indirect), developing carbon mapping to identify high sources
- Integrating the energy and carbon impacts in our investment proposals, eliminating emissions where possible and prioritising the most energy-efficient options
- Rationalising our portfolio, optimising energy use across our operations and source from renewable energy
- Developing and integrating requirements for transport efficiencies.
Reenergising our business
After mapping our energy use for our UK operations, we are running a much more detailed and comprehensive exercise to determine exactly where and how much energy we are using. We will quantify this data as emissions to help identify further carbon reduction opportunities.
As part of our energy and carbon reduction targets we will continue to invest in the latest energy-efficient and low carbon equipment and machinery. For example, we have installed 11 new hybrid injection moulding machines in our Stanton Hill and Kirkby-in-Ashfield sites, delivering up to 40% energy and associated carbon savings compared to hydraulic machines.
We also changed the water cooling system at our Kirkby-in-Ashfield site, replacing it with a significantly more efficient system that uses the energy recovered to heat the warehouse, and have implemented the latest LED lighting in all of our UK factories.
Goal:
Sustainable buildings by 2025
We will build sustainability from the ground up
We believe that our buildings must be sustainable, particularly in terms of energy and water use. We are developing a protocol for Robinson properties and buildings, adopting LEED or BREEAM principles wherever possible. To ensure our sites meet our requirements, we will regularly audit them all, implementing actions and calling for investment when required.
Making our buildings more sustainable
We have been taking a sustainable approach to the development of our second factory and warehousing in Kirkby-in-Ashfield. Among the approaches implemented, we have:
- Improved the factory structure, replacing old cladding with highly insulated cladding that is very energy efficient
- Planned to use air sourced heat pumps, providing renewable energy heating
- Used LED lighting throughout and adopted natural
light where possible - Reviewed alternative renewable energy options for power generation, such as solar panels.
As we develop the new facility it will become our blow moulding centre of excellence, enabling increased efficiencies within the business and helping us meet our strategic goals in sustainable operations.
