Brakes announces further CSR developments

Foodservice wholesaler Brakes has announced further developments to its CSR programme, with the introduction of new packaging policy and the completion of a roll out of new energy efficient lighting.

The initiatives build on the successful completion of Brakes’ 2ZERO20 black plastics commitment which removed hard-to-recycle black plastics, equating to more than a thousand tonnes, from its supply chain. It also follows the company’s most recent CSR Award, which saw Brakes and Sysco speciality business, M&J Seafood awarded the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) Foodservice Wholesaler of the Year.

The roll out of LED lighting across its UK-wide network will save around 500 tonnes of carbon and Brakes is now focusing on advanced plans to introduce its own sources of alternative energy. The packaging policy also covers the minimisation of waste, reduction of carbon to produce and transport packaging and minimisation of the use of resources throughout the production process.

Stuart Smith, Brakes’ director responsible for CSR, said: “As a business, we have a responsibility to take a lead on CSR. As the UK leader in foodservice wholesale, and as part of Sysco, the global foodservice leader, it’s the right thing to do, but is also increasingly what our customers and consumers want and expect of us.

“We’ve made it our mission to put CSR at the heart of our business across our focus areas of people, product and planet. We want to support all the communities in which we operate, reduce our impact on the environment and ensure that we take the right steps as a business to support our customers’ own CSR programmes.”