Our Changeprint
Our Changeprint can be measured by progress on our journey to becoming a net zero organisation; employee and customer engagement in our sustainability initiatives; and the Tackling Poverty Fund support received by organisations rooted in their communities.
Our story
Part of the Vidrala Group, Encirc is based across three sites in England, Northern Ireland and Italy. Each year we produce more than 4 billion glass containers for leading global brands, filling many of them for retail across the UK and Europe.
Born in 1998 with our first plant in Northern Ireland, Encirc has gone on to not only become the market leader in the UK, but also the most sustainable business of its kind in the world.
We are looking to reduce our carbon emissions towards net zero with a focus on reducing energy and investing in improved technologies. Recently, we have trialled in one of our plants converting a furnace to run on biofuels, while also increasing the recycled content of our glass bottles to 100%. All our furnaces are now fuelled by natural gas while we continue to develop our carbon-free fuel for our glass future.
We have re-written the rule book for sustainable transportation. Our railhead in Elton, helps us take thousands of trucks off the road every year, with half of our raw materials coming to our Cheshire site by rail. For overseas customers, we support bulk shipping processes which help them significantly cut both costs and their carbon footprint when bringing in beverages from the new world.
We believe in the power of glass. It's the healthiest and most sustainable packaging choice, able to be recycled over and over again, an infinite number of times. But to get the most out of this wonder material, we need to boost the levels of recycled glass (known as cullet) we use to make our containers. With this in mind we work to drive more sustainable consumer behaviours, minimise impact on water supplies and waste streams and invest in the best technology to make the best-quality containers, making the most of the cullet we have available.
Part of our social impact strategy to reduce deprivation and create new opportunities for all people in local communities, we have also set up the Encirc Tackling Poverty Fund, administered by the Fermanagh Trust, that supports a host of community-led initiatives in County Fermanagh. From food and fuel to financial advice, befriending, and family support, these initiatives are making a real difference too.
Our advice
Businesses have a key role in shaping the future. It is a business benefit to have a clear sustainability agenda as young people want to work for companies who are investing in, and have a clear strategy to address, environmental concerns. Innovation is necessary to accelerate the process to net zero targets.
