Sustainability

Sustainability is central to corporate responsibility and our work environment policy is an area where decisions taken today impact on the long-term future of Arla.

Careful management of our people and resources helps us to prevent pollution, ensure legal compliance and improve our work performance.

We fulfil this commitment by ensuring that occupational health, safety and environmental controls are an integral part of our business strategy and are applied simply and effectively.

We identify the risks and opportunities for the business and set clearly defined objectives and targets for achievement. Our management systems and activities are audited and reviewed against stated aims and international best practice.

We aim to reduce the impact that our processing sites have on the environment by reducing direct emissions and indirect impact from the usage of raw materials and utilities.

We will increase the effectiveness of our operations, improve occupational health and safety performance, and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and water consumption across our sites nationwide.

Our objectives

• Continue to build on the competence of our employees by supporting and encouraging creativity and innovation to improve our work environment performance
• Continually improve our operations to achieve maximum efficiency and reduce the levels of waste and impact on the environment
• Provide a safe and healthy workplace where work-related ill-health levels are kept low and the number of accidents are reduced in order to achieve zero ill-health and accidents
• Meet the needs and aspirations of our stakeholders ensuring that our operations comply with European and UK legislation and industry best practice
• Work with suppliers and contractors to identify work environment hazards and reduce the risks to the health and wellbeing of our employees and the environment.

Our achievements
In October 2004 we set all our dairies the challenge of achieving certification within two years to the internationally recognised and externally certified management standards ISO14001 for environmental management and OHSAS18001 for occupational health and safety. Our sites rose to the challenge, with all of our sites now accredited to these standards.

Fuel efficiency targets are set for each distribution depot to minimise fuel consumption within our transport fleet. Our vehicles are complaint with Euro IV emissions standards and use low sulphur diesel in order to reduce emissions that may cause acid rain.

It is also our responsibility to look after the health and wellbeing of our employees and we offer occupational health support at all our sites.

Environmental achievements in 2007 compared with 2006:

• 16% reduction in energy consumption
• 16% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions
• 22% reduction in water consumption
• 18% reduction in effluent
• 51% reduction in waste sent to landfill
• 15% reduction in usage of fossil fuels

Click here to download Arla Foods' Environmental Statement