Our long-term commitment to sustainability
As well as improving Lyreco’s social responsibility and sustainability, we are also concerned about the wider social and economic impact the company has on the world. This is one of the many reasons why in 2004, Lyreco was the first company in the office supplies industry to join the UN Global Compact (UNGC) – demonstrating our long-term commitment to sustainability.
In 2015, the United Nations defined 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address the global challenges we face. These SDGs provide a blueprint for governments, NGOs, companies and citizens to tackle poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. Read the UN’s 2030 agenda.
How we’re doing
It’s easy to talk a good talk, but we want to show the real-world results of our initiatives.
- In 2021, 849 products were defined compostable/degradable
- 2,459 products were classed as Sustainable using our Great For the Planet, Great for People labels, either through their packaging, product manufacturing or sustainable accreditation.
- Increased the percentage of sustainable and/or socially responsible products in our catalogue by 50% from 2021 to 2022.
- In 2021 we generated 2.8 Million kWh of green energy from our 13,860 solar panels, helping to reduce the electricity we buy from the grid by 99% between 2010 and 2020.
Sustainability at Lyreco
Read more about our sustainability work, including stats, facts and figures that show how we’re doing.
UN Sustainability goals
To support Lyreco Goodness, we are focused on
four key UN Sustainable Development Goals:
How we’re doing it
Explore the detail of how Lyreco is working towards each goal below:
SDG #4: QUALITY EDUCATION
Education is an essential part of Lyreco Goodness. Our ongoing charitable work and the efforts of people across the business, are helping children in developing countries access education.
Between 2008 and 2019, our Lyreco For Education program alone raised more than £600,000, helping 115,000 children enroll in 328 schools from Togo to Vietnam.
Over the next few years, our 10,000 employees across the world will take action to raise over £1,000,000 to directly support 11,000 children and teenagers in North-Eastern Cambodia – supporting 26 schools and building a new boarding house built for 60 students.
Learn more about Lyreco for Education
4.1 Ensure that all children complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.
Since 2008, the Lyreco For Education programme has supported projects and infrastructure in the poorest countries across the world. Funds are raised by Lyreco and subsidiary teams through various initiatives and have gone on to help children in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Brazil, Togo, Madagascar and Cambodia access education.
As well as our global efforts, we are also active in local education charities through fundraising and direct action – including working directly with local schools and activity groups.
- Each of our four Lyreco categories will adopt a charity partner in 2022 that they raise funds for as well as partner with through employee volunteering and donations
- Strengthen our employee volunteering and charity support policy, allowing employees time for volunteering to support a charity or good cause of their choice.
- Support the Social Value Taskforce as an active member. This includes donations as well as supporting young people, the unemployed and older or vulnerable people in the community.
SDG #8: DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
We ensure that our manufacturers and importers respect human rights and the environment throughout the supply chain. These requirements are applied across the business including all of our subsidiaries. Suppliers that don’t or won’t comply are blacklisted.
Each SDG includes specific goals and our work supports the following objectives:
8.5 Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all
8.7 Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour
8.8 Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers.
Together with the Supplier Code of Ethics, the Lyreco Business Supplier Agreement sets up the principles of business ethics, compliance of working conditions and human rights that apply to all suppliers.
All Lyreco product manufacturers are audited each year by recognized audit firms or directly at the production site by the Group QSS team. The audit process uses SEDEX SMETA 4 Pillars and BSCI as international standards. Audits are accompanied by an improvement programme and the monitoring of supplier progress.
Our annual vigilance plan aims to identify the risks of potential severe impacts on human rights, fundamental freedom, health and safety. This includes the results of both direct and indirect activities.
To help support SDG #8, we have recently sponsored 7 new UK and Irish Micro Businesses. This support equates to around £20,000 per business from Lyreco. Support includes:
- 12-month free product and service listing on our webshop with digital trade planning support.
- Preferred payment days, giving the microbusiness’ flexibility and consistency.
- Access to SalesForce via Learning and Development.
- £25,000 a year in Social Value (as calculated through the Social Value Portal).
SDG #12: RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
From pens to paper, most workplace supplies have a short lifespan. Some last for months, others are used for just hours. This places damaging and unnecessary strain on natural resources.
This is why we are always expanding our range of sustainable products, and promoting sustainable alternatives to our customers worldwide. We are also investing in innovative paperless initiatives and solutions.
Each SDG includes specific goals and our work supports the following objectives:
12.1 Implement the 10-year programme on sustainable consumption and production
12.2 Sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
12.5 Reduction of waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
Our ‘Great for the Planet’ and ‘Great for People’ labels are two new innovative product labels that appear throughout our catalogue and webshop. The labels are designed to make it easier for our customers to choose more ethical and sustainable products including those made up of recyclable material or can be composted amongst other factors.
In 2020, Lyreco pledged to convert everything we offer to the Circular Economy by 2025. This major step towards zero-waste alternatives aims to cover all of our product categories, including recycle-ready alternatives, extended collection and recycling solutions for used items.
We want to extend the life of our products. That’s why we collect used and empty products to reuse and give them a second lease of life. When items can’t be given a second life we want to make sure they’re recycled and don’t end up in landfill. This is why we offer a range of recycling solutions.
Lyreco UK partnered with Loop, a global reuse platform – as the first business to business organisation to offer a sustainable, circular shopping cycle. We are working with a hygiene supplier to provide reusable packaging to reduce packaging waste across the supply chain.
- 100% of our product families will have at least one recycle-ready item by 2025 or products made from materials that can be re-inserted into the end-to-end value chain.
- 100% of total packaging weight that is used for shipping is recyclable or reusable by 2025.
- Provide end-of-life collection and process back used materials into the manufacturing chain.
- Collect 15% of sold recycle-ready products to go through their recycling process.
- Remove all non-circular economy packaging from the products we sell.
- 30% or more of our plastic packaging will come from recycled plastic content by 2025.
- Zero waste to landfill by 2025.
- A 5% reduction in total waste year on year.
SDG #13: CLIMATE ACTION
Lyreco continues to take bold and brave new steps to mitigate the negative impact of our business on the planet.
We are reducing CO2 emissions across the entire value chain, from our suppliers to our customers. Not only are we protecting the planet, but we are also helping our customers achieve their own sustainability goals.
Each SDG includes specific goals and our work supports the following objectives:
13.1 Strengthen resilience to climate-related hazards
13.3 Improve education and awareness-raising.
Lyreco has taken action to reduce its Scope 3 emissions (indirect) on its own-brand products in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Lyreco signed the Zero Carbon Fleet 2028 commitment and our strategy includes 17 electric delivery vans in London. We are also assessing other routes and cities for e-van deployment to reduce carbon emissions even further.
Sustainability is a key factor in choosing our suppliers – representing 25% of the evaluation criteria. Our other factors are competitiveness, category management and logistics. Learn more about how we work with our suppliers to ensure product quality and selection by clicking here.
Lyreco has endorsed this Declaration, joining stakeholders already engaged in real-world actions to halve deforestation by 2020 and to end it by 2030.
- Map our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions throughout our operations and processes to produce a roadmap to reduce our emissions in accordance with SBTi methodology.
- Eliminate fossil fuels to reduce Scope 1 emission for all our UK and Ireland owned facilities. Lyreco will seek to replace fossil fuel systems with low carbon alternatives.
- Purchase our remaining grid electricity from 100% RECO certified supplies.
- Reduce our fleet emissions to zero by 2028.
- Review our business travel, by implementing a ‘travel hierarchy’, choosing sustainable travel methods where possible.
- Review our Scope 3 emissions including reviewing its own procurement options.
- Continually review offsetting options. For example, if Lyreco is unable to meet net positive or zero-carbon initiatives, where any offsetting scheme will be fully certified and will benefit communities.
- Increase efficiency in water management to reduce our water usage.
- Enhance biodiversity around our company-owned property and neighbouring communities.
Our Impact
It’s easy to talk a good talk, but we also want to show what we’re doing, as well as the impact of Lyreco Goodness. If you want to see more of the numbers and the real impact of what we’re doing, read our 2022 Lyreco Goodness Annual Report.
Annual Report 2022
