DS Smith scored by WWF Environmental Paper Company Index 2017
DS Smith is proud to participate in the Environmental Paper Company Index (EPCI) for the second time, demonstrating an on-going commitment to transparency on sustainable fibre sourcing, manufacturing performance, and environmental management.
"We are proud to participate in the WWF EPCI for the second time. We are committed to reducing the impacts of our business on the environment via continuous improvements and investments in our operations within a sustainable, renewable, and circular business model."
Henk Lingbeek, Director of Sustainability, Paper Division
The Environmental Paper Company Index is a WWF tool to promote transparency and continual improvement in the paper industry by tracking a company’s ecological footprint over time. DS Smith scored 71.7% of total achievable scores in the WWF EPCI 2017.
Responsible Fibre Sourcing
To be particularly celebrated is the fact that, for the second time since it started participating in the EPCI, DS Smith scored 100% of total achievable scores in the Responsible Fibre Sourcing subcategory. Although we prioritise use of recycled fibres through our circular business model, the finite recyclability of timber fibres means that a percentage of virgin fibres will always be required to topup the renewable corrugated system.
Our work on responsible fibre sourcing this area focusses on
Supporting initiatives that promote forest management and chain of custody, by aiming for FSC® certification across 100% of our in-scope operations by 2018; and- Ensuring, through traceable and transparent supply chains, that virgin fibres in our products originate from sustainably managed sources.
A score of 100% in Responsible Fibre Sourcing means that DS Smith is confident that all of its fibre has been supplied from renewable sources.
Clean Manufacturing
Unfortunately, in the subcategory of Clean Manufacturing, DS Smith’s scores reduced from 59% (in 2015) to 50% (in 2017) of the total achievable scores. The company’s commitment to growth means that newly-acquired businesses can sometimes have an impact on our environmental performance. However, we make it our priority to work with these sites to embed our minimum standards of environmental management and improve their performance.
It is a process of continuous improvement. Whether a site has been with us 1 year, or 30 years, it is an ongoing challenge as we work to ensure our minimum environmental, safety, and ethical standards are met across the whole of our business.
"With sustainability and environmental impact high on our operational agenda, getting newly-acquired businesses up to our current standards regarding sustainability has very high priority. I am delighted with the progress these new businesses have made to date, and that is testament to the effectiveness of new and existing colleagues working together. From Sourcing and Production through to Waste Management and Energy Consumption, we are committing time and resource to ensure we continue to improve both our local and global footprints."
Niels Flierman, Operations Director, Paper Division
Reporting and Environmental Management Systems
In the third sub-category of Reporting and Environmental Management Systems, DS Smith improved significantly, from scoring 55% (in 2015) to 63% (in 2017) of total achievable scores. This can be accredited to our continuous drive for transparency in sustainability reporting, for which we won the FTSE 250 Sustainability Report of the Year in 2016.
"We were pleased to be invited by WWF to participate in the EPCI again. This is an opportunity to assess ourselves against the rest of our industry, celebrate our achievements and revisit the areas where we have not made as much progress as we wanted to."
Sam Jones, Sustainability Manager
As pleasing as some of these results are, we are far from finished. DS Smith is committed to identifying ways in which we can reduce the environmental footprint of our business.
To view the full DS Smith scorecard, and others in our industry, please go to www.epci.panda.org
For further information, please direct any questions to sustainability@dssmith.com