Pollution & Resources

• Policy on pollution
• Targets
• DS Smith Supply Cycle
• Disclosure of water (effluent) discharge
• Disclosure of raw material used
• Verification of operational environmental data
• Financial quantification of pollution, waste and resource use
• Volatile organic compounds (VOC)
• Hazardous waste
• Other solid waste
• Environmental fines and penalties during financial year
• Sites covered by recognised environmental management systems
• Management of Chemicals

Policy on pollution

We source used paper and old corrugated cases (OCC) from retailers and traders.

This fibre is principally used by our own paper mills to make recycled paper, with the remainder sold to other paper manufacturers. We offer a full recycling service and handle other materials such as glass and metals, which we recycle in partnership with subcontractors. We differ from other recyclers because we do not operate landfill sites - our sole focus is on recycling, and helping our customers achieve zero waste.

Targets

After reviewing our targets and have extended our carbon reduction target to:

• Reduce our CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions from fossil fuels by 30 per cent over the 15 years to 2030;

We also have long term targets in place:

• Health and safety – zero lost time accidents
• Recycling and waste – zero waste to landfill

We are actively working toward our fibre sourcing target of:

• 100 per cent of relevant production sites having a recognised, accredited, responsible forestry certification

DS Smith Supply Cycle

Going beyond the traditional linear supply chain thinking and offer products that are designed to be circular. 

We go beyond the traditional linear supply chain and economic model to offer products that are highly reusable, have a longer life-cycle and can be returned, recycled and re-purposed at the end of its useful life. 

This approach is consistent with Circular Economy ─the new alternative to the current linear economic model of 'take-make-and-dispose'. The new model, improves the current cycle by reversing it and offering incentives to create highly-reusable products. 

Our ability to deliver a zero-waste solution to major retailers is a significant competitive advantage. Our closed loop recycling model is at the core of this strategy. All of our mills currently use 100 per cent recovered papers as their primary raw material. This is usually a mixture of old corrugated cases, recycled newspapers and magazines.

We do not consider this to be waste, we recognise it as a valuable resource which we collect, sort, pulp and convert through an extremely efficient network. High paper recovery rates and the quality of recovered paper streams are of great strategic interest to us.

Our recycling business manages over 10,000 supply contracts with national retailers, local authorities and communities, and we promote the most appropriate recycling and recovery system for all our customers. 

Disclosure of water (effluent) discharge 

Our water effluent data has been disclosed to CDP and published in other sources such as our Annual Report and Sustainability Report.

Disclosure of raw material used: 

Verification of operational environmental data

It is our policy to have environmental data externally verified. For seven years this verification has been completed by Bureau Veritas UK Ltd.

Financial quantification of pollution, waste and resource use

DS Smith has not yet calculated the % of Total R&D spend that relates directly to investment in the prevention of pollution, waste and resource use. That is because arguably, every investment we make is directed to achieving our core aim of improving the supply cycle.

A large proportion of DS Smith's R&D spend is attributable to solutions that improve the value offering to its customers. In practice this means improving processes in our Paper division that minimise resource use (primarily water and energy), improving product designs in our Packaging division to maximise strength/protective characteristics whilst minimising raw material usage, and looking for ways to increase the proportion of recycled raw material in out Plastics division.

Volatile organic compounds (VOC)

DS Smith conducted a number of tests in 2014 to determine VOC levels at manufacturing sites where VOCs are most likely to be (i.e. DS Smith Display plants where die cutting and printing/finishing takes place). Having reviewed the subsequent emissions data the Sustainability Committee agreed that the measurements were so low that these were not material relative to other environmental impacts. DS Smith does not therefore request VOC readings as part of the CERTUS global data collection process. 

Hazardous waste

Other solid waste

Environmental fines and penalties during financial year

There were no major environmental incidents or incidents of significant impact reportable to local or national authorities, or incidents potentially resulting in legal prosecution have been reported for the period of this report. 

Sites covered by recognised environmental management systems

Each production site is required to implement an environmental management system which is appropriate to its level of activity. At present, 148 manufacturing sites have an ISO 14001 certification.

We will continue to work towards 100 per cent certification to ISO 14001.

Management of Chemicals

Our approach to the use and management of chemicals is outlined in our REACH policy, below.

• DS Smith REACH policy