Photo credit: Greggs

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Greggs has reported its progress one year after making ten sustainability and ethical business targets as part of The Greggs Pledge initiative.  

Reporting on its work so far, Greggs said it had opened 686 of the 1,000 Breakfast Clubs for school children to provide 44,500 of the 70,000 meals it intends to serve each day by 2025.

On its target to create 25% less food waste than in 2018, the chain said it had redistributed 28% of all unsold food in its shops, reduced the ratio of manufacturing waste to sales by 31% and donated over 1,000 tonnes of food through its charity partners.

Working towards becoming a net zero company by using 100% renewable energy across its business, Greggs said it had it had assessed the carbon footprint of its whole value chain and will complete a supplier engagement plan and publish Science Based Targets in 2022.

Greggs’ has also joined the On Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) scheme as part of its target to use 25% less packaging by weight than in 2019.

“As a business we have a strong sense of responsibility to do the right thing for our people, customers, suppliers and communities and to lead positive change. The Greggs Pledge sets out our ambition to deliver this and our work towards achieving this commitment in the past year has helped us to grow into a stronger and better business,” said Roger Whiteside, Greggs Chief Executive.

“Although there is still work to be done, with our clear plan for the next year I believe we are well-placed to meet our ambitious targets for 2025 and beyond, as our business continues to grow and evolve, and we work together to make the world a better place.”

A full list of the Greggs Pledge commitments can be viewed here.

Greggs enjoyed robust sales in 2021, with revenues surpassing pre-pandemic levels to reach £1.23bn ($1.6bn). With more than 2,180 stores, Greggs is the second largest coffee chain in the UK after Costa coffee. The chain is targeting to operate 3,000 stores within the next-five-a-half years.