Smurfit Kappa celebrates a decade of excellence in sustainability achievements

Smurfit Kappa is well on its way to meeting its ambitious 2020 sustainability goals, according to its tenth annual sustainability report which was released today.

In the decade since it started formally measuring its sustainability impact, Smurfit Kappa reached full Chain of Custody certification for its entire raw material supply chain. At the same time it has cut CO₂ emissions by 23% and the quality of its discharge water improved by 32%, both on track for its 2020 target of 25% and 33% respectively.

Smurfit Kappa’s sustainability report, which measures year-on-year progress with a focus on five priority areas (Forest, Climate Change, Water, Waste and People), shows that over the past ten years the packaging giant has also achieved a significant reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill and has invested €60 million in water treatment plants.

Smurfit Kappa is also celebrating over ten years of investment in social and scientific projects with the aim of supporting the communities in which it operates. Over €30 million has been invested in projects ranging from providing improved facilities and play therapy at a school for children with disabilities in Italy, to working with Colombian universities to study and protect the flora and fauna in the company’s forests.

“Smurfit Kappa is playing its part in creating a sustainable future by building a profitable business based on sustainable principles. We will continue to pioneer innovative ways to be sustainable to create value for both our customers and shareholders,” said Tony Smurfit, Group CEO of Smurfit Kappa. 

Steven Stoffer, Group Vice President of Development, with responsibility for sustainability within Smurfit Kappa, said: “Compared to other packaging materials, paper is the most sustainable, therefore sustainability is within the very DNA of our company. These latest results are a testament to the contribution everyone at Smurfit Kappa makes to reach our ambitious goals. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made over the past decade, and very pleased to be on track to meet our 2020 sustainability goals.”

Key findings from the 2016 report include:

Forest

• Over 90% of packaging supplied to customers is Chain of Custody certified

Climate Change

• 22.9% reduction of fossil CO₂ emissions per tonne of paper produced (against 2005 baseline)

Water

• Completed mill-specific water risk assessments in eleven paper mills
• 31.9% reduction in relative amounts of COD in discharge water (compared to 2005)

Waste

• 13.3%  reduction in waste sent to landfill

People

• Health and Safety: Reduced the Lost Time Accident (LTA) frequency rate by 10% in 2016
• Implemented over 1,000 follow-up actions as a result of the MyVoice employee survey

Download our Sustainable Development Report 2016