LEADERS
PepsiCo Uk & Ireland
With its range of leading brands, PepsiCo UK & Ireland’s
environmental impact is sizeable. But, as Tom Idle discovers, the
company is working hard to address climate change issues
DRINK TO THE
FUTURE
P
epsiCo UK & Ireland’s next sustainability the energy used at all of its manufacturing and environmental mitigation activity. A lifecycle
report will not be published for another distribution plants to come from clean energy. assessment of Walkers crisps shows that 53% of
year. But to keep its stakeholders in the Last year, the company assessed all plants for the product’s carbon footprint is generated
loop, an update has just been produced high- their potential to host on-site renewables and through the supply chain. Within three years, it
lighting what progress the company has made has promised to start an investment programme pledges to collaborate with suppliers and farm-
since it last made environmental pledges in 2008. to move the company away from fossil fuels. ers to publish joint carbon reduction strategies.
Its a sweeping business, encompassing a “We are actively exploring CHP solutions for “Our collaboration with Walkers has been
number of global brands, including Walkers, our Quaker Cupar factory although the lengthy unprecedented,” said Dr Gerald Rebitzer,the
Quaker Oats and Doritos, and is responsible for rate of return on investment is proving global director of product stewardship at Alcan
a sizeable environmental footprint. But it is a challenging,” said Martyn Seal, the Packaging. “We have swapped
business that recognises that, while in the past firm’s sustainability director for the UK information, expertise and ideas
business growth has gone hand-in-hand with and Europe. “We are working to install with all of the partners in the
increased environmental impacts, this link must a wind turbine at our Skelmersdale value chain.”
be broken. site, and an anaerobic digestion (AD) And all of this activity will be
Climate change is staring PepsiCo in the face. plant at Boxford to convert waste translated to the public. It was
Last year, sudden rainfall across East Anglia and Copella apple peel to energy. Walkers that introduced the world’s
the Midlands wiped out the potato crop used to “Longer term we are investigating first Carbon Reduction Label last
make Walkers crisps. The extreme weather a broader application of AD across year, in conjunction with the Carbon
conditions raised waste levels and led to our business in response to the Trust, and it is something it has con-
increased costs. But despite this setback, the Government’s feed-in tariffs for tinued with by introducing a simi-
company reduced its carbon intensity (CO
2
small-scale low-carbon electricity lar label for Quaker Oats last year.
equivalent per kilogramme of production) by generation and the Elsewhere, the company’s waste
11.8% during 2008. And it promises to cut renewable heat incentive. being sent to landfill fell by an
energy use by another 20% per kg of produc- We will also investigate impressive 39% in 2008. The next
tion over the next three years. purchasing green energy stage is to explore how to get the
Part of this success is down to the company to move away from packaging weight of Walkers
achieving ISO 14001 accreditation at all of its dependence on fossil fuels.” crisps down by 10% by 2010.
British manufacturing sites. “Our Leicester Decarbonising business- So far, it has managed only a
Walkers factory reduced its energy use by 15% es the size of PepsiCo is no 2% drop, mainly through
in 2008,” said Pete Flanaghan, part of the mean feat. Some of the removing 2.5mm from the
environmental management system project projects that Seal describes end seals of bags.
team. “Our energy reduction programme and have lengthy payback periods Another significant chal-
investment in sustainability managers delivered – sometimes as much as lenge is water use. The
a new shared responsibility for making our 40 years. company has promised to
business sustainable.” But the company is working reduce water consumption
The firm had also pledged to increase the total with the Carbon Trust to at its British sites by 45%
share of its electricity coming from renewable explore how greater sticks and per kilogramme of pro-
sources from 8% to 14% within three years. carrots could be given by govern- duction within the next three years.
Last year, it doubled the share to 18% exceeding ment to make the changes Last year, saw just a 2.1% drop, so there is a
this target and the national average of 5.5%. At required a lot easy for business. long way to go.
its factory in Cupar, Scotland, where Quaker “Like any business, we know that transfor- PepsiCo’s progress is steady and the way it
Oats are made, 100% of the electricity used is mational change is required to truly become has been communicated reflects the transparen-
from renewables. The same applies at the sustainable,” said company president, cy of a company trying to do the right thing –
Zeebrugge site in Belgium, where Tropicana Richard Evans. not just because it is the responsible thing to do,
drinks are produced. As part of this journey, the business has been but because if it does not address climate change
In 15 years’ time, the company wants all of keen to engage its supply chain in any future issues, there is a serious risk to the business.
Sustainable Business ❘ November/December 2009 25
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