Carbon Charter gold

Denny Bros earns Suffolk Carbon Charter Gold award

Denny Bros is delighted to announce that we have earned the Suffolk Carbon Charter Gold award as part of our continued environmental commitment.

Lucy Denny, Marketing Executive, and Nick Theobald, Quality and Environmental Manager, discuss what the award means for the company.

Why did you go for the Suffolk Carbon Charter Gold award?

“We applied for accreditation, where you are judged on what level you have achieved. Having looked at the criteria, we were quietly confident in achieving silver – and possibly gold. So when we heard that we had earned the Suffolk Carbon Charter Gold award, we were understandably delighted”.

What did you have to do, or show, to receive the award?

“We completed a comprehensive written submission that included a set of accurate carbon footprint records for the last four years, a carbon reduction plan endorsed by senior management, evidence of clear progress over this period of time and also evidence of effective management support, staff engagement and embedding within the organisation. Other areas reported included publishing our status through various media, engaging in the wider community (for example, submitting entries to various other awards) and supporting various social and environment projects. It is not possible to achieve gold without a net zero carbon reduction plan in place.”

Have you worked your way up to gold standard (by first getting the silver and bronze)?

“Not directly, but we have had ISO 14001 environmental standard for a number of years now and this has effectively got us to this position”.

Why do you think Denny Bros has received this recognition?

“We have committed to a carbon reduction plan and achieving net zero by 2030, or sooner if possible. There is solid commitment to the process throughout the business. The business sends no waste to landfill; 45% is directly recycled and the other 55% is further processed and recycled for such things as SRF (solid recovered fuel).

We have just recently completed our fourth and final installation of solar panels on the roof of the factory (there is no longer any useable space left!). Generation capacity is now 560kWHp which, on sunny days, is more than enough to power the whole site. Over a year, we expect it to generate 50-60% of our total usage and also a considerable amount of export”.

How pleased are you to receive this award and who would you like to pay tribute to?

“We are very pleased to have a recognised independent organisation confirm the high level we have achieved. Directors have consistently and strongly backed our efforts to be environmentally conscious but it takes everyone through the company to be engaged for it to really work well”.

Do you have an Energy/Sustainability Manager? If so, what is their role in the business?

“Both Nick and Lucy oversee the work – working with all areas of the business in order to maintain registration to both the quality and environmental standards we hold. They are ISO 9001 (Quality), PS9000 (Pharmaceutical) and 14001 (Environmental). In the current climate, there are increasingly stronger financial and environmental incentives – driving the process even harder”.

Do you have an Energy Management System? If so, can you explain how that supports the business and your environmental measures?

“Yes, we have a comprehensive system, underpinned by our ISO 14001 standard, recording all relevant details such as energy generation and consumption, material consumption, waste generation, recycling and transport”.

What is next for Denny Bros, in terms of showcasing their environmental credentials?

“We will continue to seek improvements in any areas we can, looking at such things as heat recovery systems, battery storage, machine efficiency and, no doubt, many other initiatives that will present themselves in the future.

Carbon offsetting is last on our list, but something we will not realistically be able to avoid at some point. When we do, it will not be ‘green washing’, rather a strong desire to, at the very least, invest in some form of meaningful infrastructure scheme of some kind, preferably local”.

So, if you want a more sustainable supply chain and have a project in mind, call us now on 01284 761171 or contact us

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