JTI and Parfetts: The green team

What do JTI and Parfetts have in common? They are both trailblazers when it comes to sustainability. JTI, and Wholesale News, visited Parfetts’ Birmingham depot to witness its energy-efficient measures first hand

Photography: EI Commercial Photo

Sustainability is a key focus for JTI, and the company is already making huge strides in its green goals. In fact, JTI has been investing for more than 15 years in reducing the carbon emissions from its operations. In 2022, it committed to be carbon neutral across its operations by 2030 and aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain by 2050.

As they are always keen to see how wholesalers are becoming more environmentally minded, the team from JTI visited Parfetts’ newest depot in Birmingham to understand what sustainability practices are in place. Watch our video from the day above.

Champion

“Sustainability is at the heart of everything that JTI does and defines how we actively strive towards a better future with a focus on our products and our wider society,” says Alistair Vant, Wholesale, Convenience & Gas Manager at JTI.

“Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for both wholesalers and retailers, and we want to champion their best practices when it comes to reducing their environmental impact. It’s great to see Parfetts leading from the front in that respect.”

JTI’s target is to achieve 85% reusable or recyclable packaging by 2025, rising to 100% by 2030. In 2022, 82% of packaging was reusable or recyclable. Its packaging comprised of 18% recycled materials in 2022, with a target of 20% by 2025.

However, the team at JTI know that sustainability isn’t simply a tick-box exercise – a task that you can complete today to forget about tomorrow.

“It’s important to remember sustainability is a journey,” says Alistair. “The main areas where wholesalers can improve their environmental impact is around energy usage, waste, transport and supporting their local community. Sustainable wholesalers stand out from the crowd and attract environmentally minded retailers to their depots, and they’ll also reduce monthly outgoings.”

Retailer view: Alfonses Hammondson – Habinales Limited Convenience Store

It’s really important to save energy. It’s important for the planet, and as a retailer I’m always looking for ways to save money. Energy costs are so high at the moment, and I can make savings by being more energy-efficient in store. I replaced my bulbs with LEDs years ago, and I’ve definitely noticed a saving there. We have open fridges at the moment, but I know that closed fridges are much more sustainable, so in the future I’ll replace these too.

It’s great to see the sustainability measures in place here at Parfetts. The depot is really attractive, impressive and modern. I particularly like the digital screens!

Jon Griffin, General Manager, Parfetts Birmingham

Sustainability is high on our agenda here at Parfetts.

Not only is it obviously great for the environment but it reduces costs and makes the business more efficient. It’s a win-win!

We have a responsibility to make sure we pursue every way possible to reduce our carbon footprint. Our main areas of focus at the moment are solar power, vehicles and waste recycling. Over the past few years, we have installed solar panels at each of our depots and have also invested in an electric fleet – both plug-in and hybrid vehicles – and we have charging points situated in our car park. The sustainable measures don’t stop there. We have invested in more energy-efficient lighting and refrigeration too.

When you enter Parfetts, you’ll see we have installed digital screens around the depot. This is a sustainable method of communication for our suppliers in cutting down on physical materials and it has the added benefit of reducing costs too. JTI has made good use of this feature in our depot, meaning their communications and marketing are as efficient and sustainable as possible.

I’m a real advocate for retailers looking for ways to be more sustainable in their stores. This is a joint venture, and I’m keen to chat to retailers and give advice and guidance on how they can be more energy-efficient.