Social Impact Planet logoA stable climate and rich biodiversity is vitally important for the long-term future of all life on our planet.

Containers, boxes, cups, bowls, utensils, packaging, bags, lids, straws, stirrers… our daily lives, our landfills, and our oceans are filled with single-use plastics. To fight growing pollution, we have introduced innovative, sustainable solutions for packaging and recycling - such as re-useable materials, bioplastics, and organic material - to help eliminate plastic waste from ending up in landfills.

The challenge single use plastics presents is large and we continue to ensure we are doing all we can to reduce the impact of our operations on the environment. We aim to prevent waste where we can and where disposables are still necessary we have introduced a number of environmentally friendly initiatives.

To help protect our planet, we have made commitments in our social impact pledge to:

We have made great progress, and in the last fiscal year (FY22), 11.8 million items of single use plastics were eliminated from our operations in the UK and Ireland.

In fiscal year 2022, cutlery made up 19% of our total foodservice packaging volume, with takeaway food containers contributing 6% and plates 3%.

Tackling unrecyclable single use plastics in our business

Recycling is a vital tool in the journey to Net Zero

On Global Recycling Day, Sodexo’s Head of Waste Management, Catherine Burrows, shares her thoughts on the important role recycling is playing in the journey to Net Zero.

Find out more

Sustainable swaps

In 2021 Sodexo replaced bags, straws, plates, cutlery and stirrers with more sustainable alternatives (wood, paper or fibre-based).

Find out more about our sustainable swaps

Tackling unrecyclable single-use plastic

We switched off the supply of polystyrene products and single use plastic bags on 1 February 2020.

Read our announcement