Danone UK and Ireland has a long history of using business as a force for good. In January 2022, Danone became the first and only top 10 branded food and healthcare manufacturer in UK and Ireland retail to have all its operations B Corp certified. This forms part of Danone’s global ambition to certify all its operations around the world by 2025.
B Corps - a growing global community of businesses balancing purpose and profit
B Corps are dedicated to giving people and environment the same priority as shareholder value. B Corp certified businesses are verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance and public transparency – with a proven commitment to balance profit and purpose.
”There has never been a more critical time for greater action from responsible businesses. And more than ever, people want to buy from, work for, invest in and partner with businesses they trust to make a positive impact. Being part of the B Corp movement helps to accelerate collective progress to tackle the social and environmental issues we face. As one of the largest B Corps in the UK and Ireland, we will continue to do more to meet the needs of people and the planet.” James Mayer, President for Danone UK and Ireland
B Corp Certification requires businesses to assess their practices across five impact areas: governance, workers, environment, community and customers. Visit the B Corp website.
Our five year journey in the UK and Ireland
Bringing together 2000 employees across 8 locations in the UK & Ireland, Danone’s people are the driving force behind our commitment to using business as a force for good. Danone’s Specialised Nutrition, Plant-based, Dairies and Waters businesses are now certified as B Corps. This forms part of Danone’s global ambition to certify all its operations around the world by 2025.
Committed to being a purpose driven business
Health is at the heart of everything we do as a business. From our food and beverage favourites to our medical nutrition products and services, we stand for better health through better nutrition for people of all ages.
Our mission, ‘We Nourish Life’, summarises our commitment to better health through better nutrition for people of all ages.
We want our business to be a force for good. We know that the health of people and the planet are interconnected so we act to ensure a sustainable future for our communities.
Members of the B Corp team in Danone’s Wexford site
Highlights of actions
Governance
We are committed to having a positive social and environmental impact. Considering the impact of our decisions on all our stakeholders is written into our legal articles of association.
Worker
We offer a gender neutral parental policy covering: pre-natal support; extended paid parental leave, covering both men and women, which includes 18 weeks for the primary caregiver and 10 working days for the secondary caregiver; and post-natal support including return-to-work support, flexible working conditions, and support for breastfeeding.
Danone offers all employees shares in the business.
Environment
Danone’s Specialised Nutrition facility in Wexford in Ireland is the first baby formula production site in the world to be certified carbon neutral by The Carbon Trust. Powered by 100% renewable energy and operating with zero waste to landfill, the Wexford site’s actions have resulted in a 70% reduction in its direct carbon footprint since 2010, even while doubling its production volumes.
Danone UK & Ireland is a founding member of WRAP’s UK Plastics Pact, committed to ensuring 100% of its packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
By 2025 all our packaging will be 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable. This year Activia transitioned all its yoghurt pots to recyclable PET.
Community
Employees across the UK & Ireland are given unlimited volunteering time to give back to the community and in 2020, Danone employees spent 1400 hours volunteering, largely through a ‘remote volunteering’ offer launched during the pandemic. In total over the last five years we’ve contributed over 8,500 hours to good causes across the UK & Ireland.
In the last two years, across Danone UK & Ireland, employees have been helping to get critical support to people during the pandemic – including providing over £1.6m in financial and product donations and getting thousands of nutritious meals to families in need.
Customers
The Nutricia brand provides professional support and reassurance to nearly 29,000 tube-fed patients, their families, and carers across the UK through its Nutricia Homeward Nursing Team. Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19, the team adapted to continue to serve the needs of patients and communities.