Looking after people and our communities
Our People
We realise that we can only achieve our vision to be Europe’s leading packaging strategists with engaged and well supported employees. We believe that our expertise across the supply cycle, the maturity of our business model, and particularly our pedigree in delivering closed loop recycling across a number of large and established markets, mean we are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of a growing population. We believe the contribution we can make is worthwhile and that our efforts are best focused on designing, innovating and manufacturing the best packaging solution for each customer’s unique requirements. We provide direct employment and livelihoods for around 26,000 people around the world, and through our contractors, suppliers and customers affect the wellbeing of an even larger community.
We are committed to ensuring our employees work in a safe, fair and productive environment. We base our approach to, and expectation of, our employees on our five DS Smith values. Our employees have a twofold role to play. Through their daily actions and behaviours, they are the custodians of our ability to deliver on our promise to be the most sustainable, innovative and commercially successful packaging strategists in each of our markets. But they are also each and every one an ambassador for our values, and their interaction with customers, suppliers, and the wider community is just as significant as their work in our factories and mills.
Our Communities
Although we directly impact the lives of approximately 32,000 employees, the scale of our business and our joined-up approach means we are able to tackle big challenges faced by the wider communities in which we operate and in which our employees live. As a caring and responsible business, we partner with our local communities. Fuelled by an entrepreneurial spirit, our people are constantly seeking solutions. We know our people value being able to use their skills to give something back and support the future of their local environment. In previous years, community engagement in the form of fundraising, volunteering, charity support and other activities has been primarily site-led and employee-led. This approach has been largely successful: however, as we continue to grow as a business we understand the importance of being more strategic in this area.