Environmental stewardship

Overview

Our goal is to significantly reduce the environmental impact of our manufacturing sites to protect the natural resources we rely on.

Context

Our primary environmental concerns encompass both direct and indirect impacts arising from water and energy consumption, food processing and manufacturing, boiler operations, facility and vehicle maintenance, as well as product packaging and transportation. Our focal environmental areas include energy and climate change, water and effluents, food waste and loss, and plastic packaging waste. Additionally, biodiversity loss and land conversion due to agricultural activities upstream in our supply chain are key impact areas warranting greater attention through our ethical sourcing practices ( see – ethical supply chain).

In South Africa, power cuts and water supply disruptions are a regular experience, and there is a steady decline in land and water quality. Industrial food production plays a significant role in land conversion, climate change, topsoil loss, biodiversity loss, water extraction and pollution, food waste and loss, and the proliferation of waste plastic packaging and micro-plastic pollution. Regulatory controls relating to environmental protection that affect food processing and marketing companies continue to gain traction, including a tax on carbon and new, extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations.

Approach

We recognise that Tiger Brands has the potential to leverage its presence and scale for positive regional environmental impact. We are currently focused on establishing a strong base in foundational environmental practices before aiming to scale our positive impact through the pursuit of environmental opportunities. Legislative compliance, resource efficiency, and cost reduction are key factors defining our approach and prioritising our environmental activities. In 2023, we began implementing a new environmental strategy, currently emphasising coaching and guiding sites to identify and implement improvements, fostering the adoption of foundational practices. We also developed a web-based legal register to help us stay ahead of legislative developments more effectively and keep environmental compliance on track.