Driving Forward Sustainability at LWC

World Environment Day (5th June) is the United Nations’ biggest platform for raising awareness and driving action to protect our planet. Every year, it brings together governments, businesses, and communities to focus on the most pressing environmental challenges - from climate change and pollution to waste and emissions.

At LWC, sustainability isn’t just a priority - it’s a responsibility, and we’ve already begun sharing our journey with customers, partners, and colleagues. Today, we’re proud to share even more developments: the next phase of progress in our mission to become a more sustainable and responsible drinks partner.

WHAT’S NEW: OUR LATEST GREEN WINS

🌿Green Ambassadors in Action

We now have 38 Depot Green Ambassadors and 4 Regional Operations Ambassadors embedded across the business - championing green thinking on the ground. Their first major success? Rolling out the government’s Simpler Recycling Scheme across every LWC site, helping us recycle smarter, better, and fully in line with new legislation.

♻️ Shrink Wrap Overhaul

Historically one of our highest-volume packaging materials, our shrink wrap usage has had a major overhaul. We've:

Eliminated hand wrapping
Upgraded wrapping machines across all depots (65% reduction in use)
Switched to a material containing at least 30% recycled content

Combined, these improvements have delivered a massive 81% reduction in CO2 emissions related to shrink wrap use - a powerful example of how operational changes can drive serious environmental impact.

📦 Packaging Gets a Planet-Friendly Upgrade

We’ve now replaced the 184,000 boxes we use annually - previously made from virgin pulp and imported - with UK-produced boxes made from 100% recycled content. Lower transport emissions, no virgin materials, and all locally sourced. A small change, big impact.

👕 Sustainable Uniforms

We’ve moved to a new uniform provider, with all new harder wearing kit made from 70% recycled materials. We’re also rolling out a uniform recycling scheme to make sure old garments are responsibly handled.

🚛 HVO Fuel Trial: Cutting Fleet Emissions at the Source

Fleet fuel is one of the biggest contributors to our carbon footprint - making up 84% of our ‘Scope 1’ emissions. (Emissions from LWC-owned vehicles and buildings.)

With a fleet of 252 HGVs and 81 LGVs, tackling these emissions is key. That’s why we ran a two-month trial of HVO fuel at our Andover and Wiltshire depots.

HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) is a cleaner alternative to diesel. It’s made from certified waste materials - things like used cooking oils - and not only burns more cleanly, but it also supports the circular economy. Using HVO can reduce net CO₂ emissions by up to 90% compared to traditional diesel.

We’re pleased to share that the trial was a success, and we’re now working on plans to expand HVO use across viable depots - a major move towards cutting emissions at the source and delivering on our Net Zero ambitions.

📊 Scope 3 Emissions: Now Fully Tracked

For the first time, we’ve completed our Scope 3 Emissions Report - measuring the indirect emissions in our supply chain. These include emissions from production, packaging, and transport before products even reach LWC.

Scope 3 is often the hardest to track - but also the most critical to understand. This comprehensive work gives us a clear view of our end-to-end impact and helps us work more responsibly with suppliers and partners. Full reporting will be available soon.

📦 Merseyside Moves to Our Greenest Site Yet

We’ve officially relocated our Merseyside depot to a new BREEAM-certified site, recognised as the global benchmark for sustainable buildings. This site is now our greenest ever - built with energy efficiency, environmental responsibility, and smart operations in mind. It’s a powerful example of how sustainability is shaping how we grow as a business. More on this soon.

CONTINUING TO BUILD ON STRONG FOUNDATIONS

These updates build on a growing list of sustainability actions already embedded across LWC, including:

The launch of our Headline ESG Commitments
The rollout of our internal Sustainability & ESG comms and resource Hub
Continued solar panel installations across depots
A move to digital business cards to reduce print waste
Ongoing supply chain partnerships - including our road mile reduction project with Asahi
Continued electrification of our vehicles.

A BETTER BUSINESS FOR THE FUTURE

At LWC, we know our role goes beyond drinks. As we grow, we’re committed to raising environmental standards, leading by example, and helping our customers, suppliers and communities do the same.

Thank you for being part of our journey. If you’d like to find out more about our sustainability work or talk about how we can support your environmental goals, please reach out to your LWC contact or email: sustainability@lwc-drinks.co.uk