pladis has marked a major step forward in its sustainability programme after receiving formal approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its science-based climate targets.
The company has also published its 2025 Sustainability Report. The report sets out the next stage of delivery for its global 2030 sustainability programme, Happy People, Happy Planet, against a backdrop of accelerating food and beverage industry trends.
Science-based climate commitments
Validation from the SBTi follows an extensive target-setting exercise shaped by pladis’ first Double Materiality Assessment. The resulting framework provides measurable goals for both the company’s own activities and its wider supply chain.
- Scope 1 and 2 emissions: pladis will reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions from its operations and purchased energy by 58.8% by 2034, using 2023 as the baseline year.
- Scope 3 emissions: Since value-chain activity represents 91% of the company’s overall carbon footprint, pladis has committed to cutting Scope 3 emissions by 35% by 2034 against its 2023 baseline.
- FLAG emissions: The business is targeting a 42% reduction in forest, land and agriculture emissions by 2034.
- Pathway to net zero: These medium-term goals support pladis’ longer-term objective of reaching net-zero emissions throughout its value chain by 2050.
Turning targets into action
SBTi approval represents more than a sustainability credential. It gives pladis a structured plan for connecting commercial performance with environmental responsibility. The company is now applying that plan across production, packaging and procurement—areas closely linked to food manufacturing trends, food processing technology and evolving food and drink sustainability expectations.
Investment in lower-impact manufacturing
pladis is supporting its operational emissions targets with significant capital investment. A multi-year programme worth £68 million is being deployed across the company’s UK bakery network. Projects at facilities including Manchester and Aintree include new moulding lines, sophisticated robotics and more energy-efficient ovens. Once completed, these upgrades are expected to avoid around 876 tonnes of CO₂e each year.
Packaging and circular economy progress
Packaging remains a central priority for the snacking sector and an important part of wider food and drink packaging development. By the close of 2025, 94% of the plastic packaging used across pladis’ global portfolio was classified as recycle-ready. The company has subsequently committed to reducing virgin plastic consumption by 10% by 2030, compared with its 2025 baseline.
McVitie’s has finished internal trials of recycle-ready formats for its entire Digestives range, with the wider introduction now in progress.
Product redesigns are also delivering measurable benefits. Ülker Kakao, for example, has moved from composite packaging to a recycle-ready mono-material pouch, reducing plastic consumption by 18%.
pladis is additionally supporting innovations designed to improve collection and recycling systems. In Belgium, the business has trialled digital watermarking on Sultana packs through the HolyGrail 2030 consortium, demonstrating how food and drink industry innovation can contribute to more effective packaging sorting.
Regenerative farming and responsible procurement
Agricultural raw materials account for a substantial proportion of pladis’ Scope 3 emissions, making responsible sourcing essential to its climate strategy. Key developments include the following:
- Improved traceability: In 2025, pladis traced 94% of its palm oil supplies back to the processing mill.
- Regenerative agriculture: Through the UK “Back to Farm” programme, the company purchased more than 30,000 tonnes of wheat grown using regenerative methods by approximately 50 farmers. Compared with the AHDB UK baseline, these practices reduced emissions by 104kg of CO₂e per tonne of flour.
- Support for cocoa communities: Working with the Earthworm Foundation through the “Beyond Cocoa” programme, pladis enabled 2,440 cocoa farmers and their families to access mobile healthcare. The company also verified that its supplying cooperatives operate in areas free from deforestation.
A common platform for progress
Commenting on the announcement, Suzanne Westlake, director of sustainability at pladis, highlighted the importance of cooperation across the company’s network:
“Securing SBTi validation is a significant milestone, confirming that our climate targets are grounded in science and giving us clear direction for reducing emissions. Together with our Happy People, Happy Planet strategy, those targets give us a single global framework for action. But it is people across our business and value chain – colleagues, farmers, suppliers and partners – who will translate it into real change.”
pladis’ progress demonstrates the close relationship between sustainability, resilience and long-term competitiveness. By linking emissions goals to independently validated measurements, the company is strengthening its ability to manage regulatory, environmental and supply-chain risks. This approach also reflects changing food and drink regulations, food distribution trends and food and drink consumer trends, as customers and stakeholders increasingly expect credible environmental action.
Through its combination of operational investment, responsible sourcing, packaging development and transparent reporting, pladis is establishing a model for the global food sector. Its strategy shows how science-based targets can support practical transformation across the full value chain—from agricultural production to the finished pack—while informing future food and drink marketing and broader food manufacturing strategy.
