Reflecting on our Sustainability Progress and Commitments – DS Smith Sustainability Report 2021/2022

I told my colleagues last year that I was bowled over by the contents and results of our Sustainability Report. I am delighted to say that this year, the team has done it once again. The publication of DS Smith’s Sustainability Report comes at a time of significant change in the world, and every person in our organisation has contributed to the progress we have made, and collectively deepened our commitment to sustainability. I am proud of our colleagues and how far we have come, and excited for where we will go next in what are ambitious plans.

The Sustainability Report evidences how, every day, we continue to live our Purpose of Redefining Packaging for a Changing World, accelerating the transition to the circular economy, and working to realise our vision to be the leading supplier of sustainable packaging solutions.

Sustainability and the circular economy are what drive our business and drive growth, there is no simpler way to put it. But as we grow, we in turn play an important role in helping brands and wider society transition to the circular economy – we remain steadfast in our commitment to improving the world around us, which is rooted in our Now and Next sustainability strategy. That strategy is focused on the challenges we face today, as well as those that will impact future generations, and it is a strategy that continues to position DS Smith at the forefront of the packaging industry as we enable our customers to participate in the circular economy.

You can find the full Sustainability Report here, but I’d like to pull out some highlights that I’m particularly proud of:

• we achieved our target to manufacture 100 per cent reusable or recyclable packaging;
• we removed 313 units of problem plastic and replaced them with recyclable alternatives;
• we announced a 1.5°C science-based target, having already reduced our emissions by 29 per cent per tonne of production since 2015;
• we achieved our target to fund 100 biodiversity projects; and
• we increased our scores in five leading ESG ratings.

Results like these are underpinned by the tremendous talent of our people and by our circular approach that is woven throughout the business. More than 700 of our designers are now trained in our Circular Design Principles and working on more than 2,000 live circular design projects. This way of working, which is unique to DS Smith and developed in partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, ensures that new packaging solutions are fit for the circular economy by design, and that our customers can help consumers to recycle, enabling the circular economy at scale.

The impact we are already having to help brands and wider society transition to the circular economy is something about which we can be very proud already. But the reality is that there is much more to do.

As the pace of change in the world accelerates and consumers demand more of the products and services they buy, there is an expectation that organisations of all kinds must not only reduce their impact on the natural world, but create a positive impact for people and the planet.

This presents huge opportunities for all of us, but also requires new ways of thinking. There’s a need for a new approach to packaging, one that is circular rather than linear, decoupling material consumption from finite natural resources. And there is a need for strong leadership in our industry. This is what continues to drive us and why we have a shared purpose of Redefining Packaging for a Changing World.