Sustainability Update
Sustainability and environmental issues are hot topics in the news and businesses and individuals are increasingly being asked to operate more sustainably. Things like recycling, sourcing renewable energy and increasing energy efficiencies are key priority areas and are even more pertinent now with the vast increases in energy prices seen in recent months.
Dengie are no exception and we are working towards the Investors in the Environment Bronze award to formalise actions and achievements. This award will demonstrate to our suppliers, customers and local and wider communities that we are working towards a greener future for the business.
We have been tracking our resource use for the past two years and are now able to report the impacts of changes we have made so far. Our use of resources is often impacted by factors such as the weather, which is clearly beyond our control, but by measuring and recording our energy use, we can better quantify the impact to the business and whether possible solutions will bring a sufficient return on the investment needed.
Key Results
- A 5.5% reduction in electricity used in 2021/22 compared to 2020/21 – achieved by using energy efficient light bulbs, maintaining equipment to operate as efficiently as possible, turning plant, lights, air conditioning, computers off when not in use. As a point of interest, Dengie moved over to a zero carbon electricity supply in October 2021, which will help reduce our impact on the environment.
- An 8.7% reduction in fuel achieved by driving efficiently, not idling engines unnecessarily and maintaining the vehicles to operate as efficiently as possible.
- 3.5% reduction in waste feed produced
- Carbon footprint reduction if gas use not included was 10.5%
Unfortunately, the wetter harvest conditions meant that gas usage was higher in 2021. New initiatives have been put in place for harvest 2022 which should help us to address this key area.
Plastic packaging waste increased significantly in 2021/22 and work is underway to identify why this has occurred and what can be done to address the issue.
For further information on our Corporate Responsibility Commitment, read our Environmental Management Plan Policy.
