PepsiCo’s environmental sustainability programmes ‘save $375m’

PepsiCo has announced that its environmental sustainability programmes saved the company more than $375m since its goals were established in 2010, achieved through a combination of progress in the company’s water, energy, packaging and waste reduction initiatives.

During the same period, the company delivered double-digit net revenue and operating profit growth, which it claimed “demonstrated that investments in sustainability are mutually beneficial for business and society”.

The company has reduced its water use per unit of production by 23% since 2006, delivering cost savings of approximately $17m last year; held total greenhouse gas emissions flat against its 2008 baseline, despite a significant growth in the business’ production volume; improved the energy efficiency of its operations by nearly 16% compared with its 2006 baseline; diverted 93% of its waste from reaching landfills during 2014, and decreased the overall amount of packaging used in the same year by 89m lbs against the year before.

PepsiCo has also met its target on reducing saturated fats in five out of ten key countries; reduced average added sugars per serving in seven out of ten, compared to the 2006 baseline; and lowered sodium content in all ten of the key markets.

The soft drinks giant deployed its Sustainable Farming Initiative (SFI) to growers across 11 countries in 2014 and increased acres covered by more than 20% over the prior year. SFI guides global suppliers in sustainable agricultural practices and provides them with resources, training and support to meet PepsiCo’s social, economic and environmental standards.

PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi said: “As leaders gather this month to adopt the UN Sustainable Development Goals, PepsiCo will reflect on progress made to date and renew its focus on doing more in the years ahead. By continuing to apply our scale and capabilities to address shared societal challenges, we will further strengthen our company and the communities where we operate.”