Smurfit Kappa Recycling, and its parent organisation
Smurfit Kappa Paper UK, have gained the highly acclaimed Carbon Trust
Standard for their national paper recycling and manufacturing operations.
The Carbon Trust Standard is the world's first carbon award that requires an
organisation to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint and make
real reductions year-on-year. Unlike other award schemes, organisations are
rewarded for actions they have taken to cut carbon across their own
operations and improve the environment.
To gain Carbon Trust Standard, Smurfit Kappa Paper showed a 12.9% reduction
of tCO2e/£mn (Tonnes of CO2 equivalent, the standard measurement for
describing how much global warming a given type and amount of greenhouse gas
may cause). Over the two-year period of assessment, Smurfit Kappa Recycling
reduced its consumption of electricity, gas and oil. The integration of the
company's transport fleets has also significantly improved transport
efficiencies. By sharing information the organisation has been able to
maximise vehicle capacity and minimise trips with more multi-point
collections and greater use of back hauling to recover material for
recycling. Other improvements at the UK paper division included improvements
to stock preparation and pulpers to reduce energy consumption and the
installation of a water treatment plant at the Smurfit Kappa SSK paper mill
in Nechells, Birmingham. The new water treatment plant generates Biogas to
be used at the mill to create heat.
The award, coupled with Smurfit Kappa's commitment to engaging with the
local communities it works alongside, identifies it as a leader in the field
of corporate and social responsibility and one of the UK's key environmental
innovators.
Simon Weston, Managing Director Smurfit Kappa Recycling explains: "The award
of Carbon Trust Standard is a recognition of our efforts to improve our
environmental impact when recovering our raw material."
Monika Maciejewska, Sustainability Manager, Smurfit Kappa Paper UK,
comments; "The latest Carbon Trust Standard certification for the business
is a further step in our Sustainability Model and improving the environment
on a national and local scale. Our aim is to control and effectively manage
the recovery and recycling of paper based packaging so that we can minimise
its carbon footprint, whilst also achieving long-term business growth."
Harry Morrison, General Manager, the Carbon Trust Standard, said: "Achieving
the Carbon Trust Standard shows that Smurfit Kappa is taking serious and
credible steps to manage their carbon footprint. Based on a rigorous,
independently assessed methodology, the Carbon Trust Standard allows
organisations to talk with integrity to their stakeholders, consumers and
investors about what they have been doing to reduce their carbon emissions.
We congratulate Smurfit Kappa on its achievement."
Smurfit Kappa's gaining the Carbon Trust Standard follows a number of other
sustainability landmarks achieved by the company including the award of
Coca-Cola Enterprises' 2010 Supplier Award for 'Corporate Responsibility and
Sustainability Supplier' and Unilever Partner to Win, 2011 supplier awards
in the 'Winning through Sustainability' category.