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United Biscuits raises the bar on its environmental commitments

In its new two-year-on update report (see link below) on the company’s commitments for environmental sustainability, United Biscuits (UB), a leading manufacturer of biscuits and snacks, highlights that it has had to set itself new targets in some areas because progress has exceeded expectations.

Jeff van der Eems, UB’s Chief Operating Officer, said:
“After just two years working towards our environmental targets we are already finding it necessary to raise the bar as we have achieved targets early. Our water target has been accomplished with ten years to spare, our transport carbon emissions target has been comfortably exceeded with three years left and we have merged our UK and Northern Europe carbon emissions target after the Northern Europe element was achieved at the beginning of 2009.”

UB’s 2009 sustainability achievements include:

• Water use has reduced by 28% since 2007, exceeding the target to reduce it by 25% by 2020 ten years early. UB has now set itself a 45% reduction target for 2020.

• Transport carbon emissions have reduced by 29% since 2005, exceeding the 22% by 2012 target. A new target to reduce transport carbon emissions by 40% by 2012 has been set.

• UB achieved a 5% reduction in factory carbon emissions in 2009, making the achievement to date 28% since 1995 against a target of 35% by 2020.

• The target to achieve zero food waste to landfill by 2010 was achieved one year early.

• A 44% reduction in non-food waste to landfill was achieved in 2009. The goal to send zero non-food waste to landfill by 2015 has now been brought forward to 2012.

• Packaging has reduced by 13% since 2003, against a target of 20% by 2015.

• UB is one of the very first food manufacturers in Europe to source sustainable palm oil that is segregated throughout the supply chain. All UB products that contain palm oil will be made with certified sustainable palm oil from mid-2010. UB has also reduced the amount of palm oil used by 40% since 2005.

UB’s Achieving Sustainability 2009 Update report can be viewed at www.unitedbiscuits.com/sustainability.php. This sets out in detail UB’s performance against each of its sustainability commitments, the new targets that have been set, and gives case study examples of how UB is achieving its targets.

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Media contact:
For further information or to request images, please contact Keren McCarron, UB Corporate Communication Manager on 0208 234 5702 or keren_mccarron@biscuits.com

Notes to Editors

• UB is the leading manufacturer and marketer of biscuits in the UK and second largest in the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Ireland.

• In the UK, UB is the leading manufacturer and marketer of packaged nuts and the second largest manufacturer and marketer of savoury snacks and crisps. In Ireland, UB is number two in biscuits and number three in snacks.

• UB manufactures and markets a wide range of products in the U.K. and continental Western Europe that are household names in their respective markets. Branded products accounted for approaching 90% of sales in 2009.

• Among UB’s popular brand names are McVitie’s, Penguin, go ahead!, McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes, Jacob’s, Jacob’s Cream Crackers, Twiglets, Hula Hoops, Skips, Mini Cheddars, McCoy’s, Phileas Fogg and KP Nuts in the U.K. and BN, Delacre, Verkade and Sultana in Continental Europe.

• UB owns and operates 15 manufacturing facilities of which 11 are in the UK.

• UB employs over 8,500 people of whom over 7,000 work in the UK.