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The Leaf: Issue 5 September 2021 – Our End-of-summer Sustainability Actions Update
The heating may have been off for the last few months, but we’ve been busy improving the sustainability of our operations, putting in place practices that will help us achieve our goal of becoming a Net Zero site by 2025, a commitment we’ve made to our planet, our communities and our staff.
Here’s an update on what we’ve been up to on our path to better sustainability.
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NEW brown cardboard kraft packaging for Wiser
Did you know, we need to use 150 different types of outer packaging for our products in our Plymouth factory alone? So, where they come from and how they’re disposed of is extremely important to us. Soon all of our cardboard packaging will be made of a minimum 70% recycled content, and all inks we use are water-based to reduce pollution.
We’re replacing our white cardboard packaging with brown cardboard made of a minimum of 70% recycled material. Our first 10 tonnes of this more eco-friendly packaging is already on order, which you’ll start seeing initially on our Wiser products very soon, from the smart thermostat kits down to the smart radiator thermostats and smart plugs.
We’ll be rolling out the new brown packaging to more Drayton products in due course, as we run down our existing packaging to avoid needless material wastage.
Brown cardboard, also called kraft packaging, has many significant benefits vs. white cardboard:
- Up to 60%* reduction in water used and discharged during production.
- No bleaching required, resulting in up to 60%* reduction in discharge of chemical substances into groundwater.
- Up to 88%* less airborne dust emissions during production.
- Allows higher recycled material content than white cardboard often made of virgin wood pulp.
- Easily recyclable and compostable.
- High durability, with resistance to moisture and rough handling makes these a great option for electronics. After all, the term kraft means ‘strength’ in German.
- Easy to print on, meaning we can swap to an environmentally friendly water and oil-based ink.
*Source: DS Smith
Wiser’s new packaging will include brown kraft boxes like this, reducing manufacturing intensity, chemical pollution, use of virgin wood pulp, water use, dust emissions and improving recyclability and compostability.
NEW Wiser product launches
Speaking of Wiser, we can reveal new Wiser product launches are due very soon, to help you make even more energy savings whatever your heating system type. Find out more on 4th October 2021, watch this space….
Single Use Plastic (SUP) reduction
You may have read in the May issue of The Leaf about how we reduced our single use plastics (SUPs) by 40%, we’ve continued to eliminate plastic from our supply chain.
In 2019 our supply chain involved 16 tonnes of single use plastics. Today, in working closely with our suppliers and retailers, we’ve reduced that to just 8 tonnes a year, with 30% of that to be from recycled material, a 50% reduction in SUPs in just 2 years.
2.5 tonnes of our remaining figure is in the use of protective plastic bags for components in our TS product line. It’s a tricky one to replace, but we’ll soon be swapping these with bags made from nearly 50% recycled content, which will significantly reduce our virgin plastic use.
We’re also running exciting trials into plant-based bags for components like nuts, bolts and screws, to further eliminate plastics from our operations.
Drayton sponsorship of BEAMA Zero Carbon Homes Week
Drayton, the brand behind Wiser and its smart heating app, is proud to be a sponsor of a series of webinars for Zero Carbon Homes Week launching 11th October, organised by BEAMA (the UK trade association for manufacturers and providers of energy infrastructure technologies and systems), as part of their 2021 Autumn Net Zero Campaign.
The 7 webinars taking place over the course of 3 weeks will include topics on:
- Delivering 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028
- Thermal storage – A vital component for zero carbon homes
- The power at our fingertips - Heating controls for zero carbon homes
- Reducing the cost of Net Zero – System improvements for low carbon heating
- Net Zero Healthy Homes – The wider benefits of home improvements for health
- Home electrical infrastructure of the future - How Net Zero is changing the electrical foundations in our homes
- Skills for Net Zero – The electrical industry discuss the growing demand for skilled jobs to deliver Net Zero
Register for the webinars today on the BEAMA website.
World Rivers Day – 29th September
World Rivers Day is a celebration of the world’s waterways. It highlights the value of rivers, strives to increase public awareness and encourages improved stewardship of rivers around the world. Learn more at worldriversday.com. Our improved packaging will mean we’re helping to reduce unsustainable water use from its manufacture and reduce chemical pollution into our waterways.
World Vegetarian Day – 1st October
It’s widely known diets with less meat are better for the planet. If you’re thinking about trying more vegetarian recipes, or cutting out meat products for good, learn more by visiting the World Vegetarian Day website.
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