Protecting What Matters: Mannok Launch Packaging Products Five-Year Sustainability Strategy

Mannok has launched its packaging products’ sustainability strategy, which has a key focus on “protecting what matters” and provides a roadmap to help the company achieve its sustainability goals over the next five years and continue as leaders in sustainability.

The strategy aligns with relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals and has three focused pillars of protection: protecting resources, protecting nature and protecting people.    

Protecting Resources

Mannok is committed to producing truly circular packaging products which are fully recyclable and produced using recycled raw materials. It’s a commitment which has already led to industry leading innovation from the company, which has been recognised with multiple high-profile awards.

The next five years will see this continue, as Mannok’s strategy outlines plans to protect resources further, committing to ambitious targets in the immediate future. Highlights include the commitment to have zero landfill waste, a significant increase in recycled content in all PET products, and a move to only produce mono material MAP meat trays to eliminate the need for non-recycled content.

Protecting Nature

To protect nature globally and locally, the company will reduce carbon emissions in all operations, plant more trees to absorb carbon from the atmosphere and further enhance biodiversity in the local region. Mannok has already started this journey to enhance and protect nature having planted half a million pollen and nectar rich flowers and native trees, introduced 100% electric powered vehicles to its fleet and uses 100% green electricity in the manufacture of its products.

In its five-year plan, the company focuses on energy management and carbon reduction initiatives, and outlines dedicated biodiversity targets which will see the grounds surrounding the packaging plant become home to a quarter of a million native Irish bees and 1,000 native trees.

Protecting People

The third pillar of the strategy focuses on people: Mannok’s employees, the local community and the value chain of people which makes the business a success. The company has recently been recognised for their award-winning Skills Development Programme, which it commits to extend to all staff to ensure each team member has tailored, structured career development opportunities. The strategy also outlines how the company will continue to prioritise the health and safety of its staff, including targets to reflect its importance, and embedding mental health commitments to support employees with personalised support programmes.

Mannok’s commitment to the local community will see the company introduce a volunteer programme and fundraising drive, committing to enable its team to complete 500 hours of voluntary work and raise £30,000 for local charities.

Commenting on the launch of the packaging producer’s sustainability strategy and the level of commitment to protect what matters, Mark McKenna, General Manager of Mannok’s packaging division, said,

“We are delighted to publish our five-year sustainability strategy, which has been several months in development and outlines our ambitious pathway for the next five years.

Sustainability is now an integral part of our culture and we are proud of the progress we have already made in making our business more sustainable. In developing our strategy, we have carefully considered the meaning of “Protecting What Matters” and have developed a challenging roadmap, focusing on the acceleration of our short-term sustainable development with meaningful contributions to achieve this.

For us, our commitment to protect what matters goes beyond preventing harm. We must also nurture, develop and encourage the planet’s resources and ecosystems and our people and communities to flourish. Our people, our local region and community are very much at the heart of this strategy. It is their support and commitment which makes our business a success and it is with their continued support that we will deliver on the commitments we have now published.”

Download: Sustainability Strategy 2021-2026