Smurfit Kappa UK's Packaging Division, one of the UK's leading manufacturers of paper based packaging solutions has been awarded the first Carbon Trust Standard for a major multi-site packaging company after taking action on climate change by measuring and reducing its carbon footprint by 11%. This huge reduction of almost 8,000 tonnes of CO2 carbon emissions in one year represents a saving of 10 Kilograms of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) for each tonne of product manufactured or processed at the 20 - UK wide - sites that make up Smurfit Kappa UK's Packaging Division. The Carbon Trust Standard is the world's first carbon award that requires an organisation to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint and actually make real reductions year-on-year. Unlike other award schemes, organisations are rewarded for actions they've taken to cut carbon across their own operations.
Ian Naylor, Strategic Development Director at Smurfit Kappa said, "We're delighted to have achieved the Carbon Trust Standard at our first attempt. It is a highly visible way of showing our commitment to taking action on climate change and communicates it to those that matter. "In the current economic climate it's essential that we remain competitive, and the Carbon Trust Standard helps us keep that focus. Cutting carbon is a priority for our business and delivers tangible bottom-line benefits. Increasingly our customers are identifying that in the mind of the consumer, wider environmental issues influence buying decisions and we believe that customers and consumers will welcome a major packaging company undertaking real carbon reduction action.
We have already cut our carbon emissions by 11% as part of the initiative and are committed to making further reductions in the future. "As part of our Carbon Management programme we have made a wide range of changes to the way that we operate to improve our annual energy consumption from practical issues such as installing steam boiler condensate recovery systems saving 3,590 tCO2e, reducing vehicle movements through improved journey planning to include 'backhaul' (running full on both legs of a journey) saving 770.5 tCO2e, to installing inverter drives to reduce plant and machinery energy consumption."
"This has been a two year company wide programme involving everyone from the CEO downwards, with everyone of us taking responsibility for our own personal influence on the company's ability to deliver low impact products and services". Harry Morrison, General Manager of the Carbon Trust Standard, commented: "Being certified with the Carbon Trust Standard is proof an organisation has taken genuine action to reduce their direct impact on climate change by cutting carbon emissions. We congratulate the Packaging Division of Smurfit Kappa UK on this achievement.
"Both businesses and consumers share a desire for one, credible way to prove an organisation has not only measured, but actually reduced their carbon emissions year-on-year without the use of offsetting. The Carbon Trust Standard provides this credibility and we encourage more organisations to follow Smurfit Kappa UK in making this commitment."