Evans reduces carbon footprint

Planet Mark is a voluntary sustainability certification for all types of organisations. The certification is based on continuous improvement and encourages action to make a difference. The certification helps to strengthen Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy, contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and set credible targets aligned with Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi)’s global Net-Zero Standard. From the initial certification a business member must reduce carbon emissions by 2.5% each year to renew the certification.

Maintaining the Planet Mark certification as Evans has now done for the third year is a brilliant achievement for a manufacturing site. Through continuous improvement within its Preston site, Evans has reduced its carbon footprint by 31.1% since it joined the scheme. This year it achieved a 15.7% reduction.

Environmental impact and sustainability are now a priority in decision making throughout the whole company. In the past 12 months it has set out its sustainability strategy up to 2025. Targets for completion in 2022 include projects on electricity reduction, an increase in PCR (post-consumer recycled) content in packaging and supply chain analysis.

With Evans ongoing commitments to reducing its carbon footprint, this has a knock-on effect to its customers’ carbon footprints. All improvements and efforts, however small – moving towards paperless accounting, installing motion sensor lighting, changing filling lines to run more efficiently - have made a difference and Evans is now putting less carbon into its products. This means that its customers are now buying a more carbon friendly product too. 

Furthermore, Evans encourages customers to make changes to their buying habits. By buying more, but less frequently, deliveries and journeys made are reduced, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of transportation.

Buying concentrates and super concentrates is one area where Evans feels customers can make a BIG difference. Where there is a super concentrate available as an alternative for an application, a single pallet can eliminate buying 56 pallets compared to an RTU solution and a 26-pallet arctic of concentrates has the potential to save 8250 kg CO2e. By switching where appropriate not only is Evans continuing to reduce its carbon footprint but helping customers reduce theirs and save money; every litre of super concentrate product makes up to 100 trigger sprays.

Talking about its latest certification, Evans environment and sustainability manager, Vikki Morris, said “We still have more work to do and will be pushing forward with some projects this year, to aim for yet more reductions next year.”

Planet Mark founder and CEO, Steve Malkin, said “Congratulations to Evans Vanodine on a great set of carbon reduction results this year. The team takes a holistic view of its carbon footprint and aims to reduce its footprint across all its operations. This is the kind of approach we need to sustainability, one that takes responsibility throughout the value chain. Evans Vanodine is doing fantastic work in reducing its carbon footprint, and I hope this continues into the future.”

Planet Mark also work in partnership with other environmental schemes, including The Eden Project and Cool Earth. Evans membership last year contributed to work done by Cool Earth and helped the Ashaninka people protect one acre of rainforest.

To find out more about Evans Vanodine’s sustainability efforts, visit its environment pages on the website https://www.evansvanodine.co.uk/greentick