19 December 2008

British Sugar has published the carbon footprints of its TOPSOIL and LimeX products which have been calculated using the new PAS 2050 method

UK manufacturer continues its ongoing commitment to reducing emissions

British Sugar has published the carbon footprints of its TOPSOIL and LimeX products which have been calculated using the new PAS 2050 method.

British Sugar’s TOPSOIL has been certified as producing 9 kilograms of CO2 per tonne of product and the LimeX products are certified by the Carbon Trust as producing 2.4 kilograms of CO2 per tonne of product.

British Sugar’s TOPSOIL is the UK’s largest supplier of quality topsoil products to the landscape and amenity industries. All TOPSOIL products are produced by recycling the comparatively small amount of soil that naturally adheres to the sugar beet delivered to British Sugar’s factories.  This ensures that an important non-renewable resource is reused in a positive way.

Andy Spetch, TOPSOIL Business Manager, added: “We are very aware of our responsibility to help our customers in assessing the carbon footprint of their own products and services. We believe that this announcement makes a positive contribution and are proud of the results achieved.”

British Sugar’s LimeX products are the UK's No.1 Liming products for correcting soil acidity and improving fertility. The market-leading LimeX range has been developed by British Sugar over more than 80 years.

Richard Cogman, National LimeX Manager, commented: “LimeX products are unique.  By reconditioning the lime products produced as part of the sugar purification process, British Sugar ensures that nothing is wasted and delivers a valuable range of soil conditioning products.  We are pleased to support our customers by providing these independently certified results.”




Notes to editors:
- 1 tonne of product = 1000 kilograms
- The quoted footprint ratings are business to business figure, the footprint is only calculated to the point where the product is collected from the factory gate

About British Sugar
British Sugar is the UK's leading supplier of sugar products to the food manufacturing and consumer markets. Recognised as one of the most efficient sugar producers in Europe, British Sugar is committed to transforming its raw materials into sustainable products and has invested over £1bn in new technologies over the last twenty years. To find out more about British Sugar's latest energy-saving initiatives please visit: www.britishsugar.com. In October 2008, British Sugar and Silver Spoon announced that, using the new PAS 2050 method, British Sugar’s homegrown granulated white sugar was assessed to produce 0.6 grams of CO2 equivalent per gram of product.

About TOPSOIL
British Sugar is the UK’s largest supplier of quality topsoil products to the landscape and amenity industries. All TOPSOIL products are developed from the soil that adheres to the sugar beet delivered to British Sugar’s factories and as such comes from the best agricultural soils in the country. After separation, the soil undergoes a gravity settlement stage prior to a lengthy conditioning process and careful storage ready for delivery. For more information on TOPSOIL please visit www.bstopsoil.co.uk

About LimeX
British Sugar produces and markets the LimeX product range for the agricultural, brownfield development and built-environment sectors. It has become the UK’s leading agricultural liming material for soil acidity management through an all-round combination of efficacy, consistent quality and value-for-money. Achieving this status has been the result of a drive to produce the best. Within the last decade British Sugar has invested over £15 million in product development and has extended the availability of LimeX across the country. LimeX products are unique and derived from a co-product of beet sugar manufacturing which uses limestone as an essential component in the process. The LimeX range is available across the UK directly from British Sugar's factories or through its authorised distributors. For more information on LimeX please visit www.limex.co.uk/.

About PAS 2050
The new PAS 2050 method uses a detailed supply chain GHG assessment which took British Sugar over 8 months to complete, and underlines an ongoing commitment by the company to reduce its carbon emissions. This announcement follows the company’s decision in February 2008 to be a pilot partner in the development of PAS 2050, the world’s first method for assessing the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of goods and services, developed by BSI British Standards and sponsored by the Carbon Trust and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

About the Carbon Trust
 The Carbon Trust is an independent company set up by government in response to the threat of climate change, to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies. The Carbon Trust works with UK business and the public sector through its work in five complementary areas: insights, solutions, innovations, enterprises and investments. Together these help to explain, deliver, develop, create and finance low carbon enterprise. The Carbon Trust is funded by the government.  For more information on the Carbon Trust visit www.carbontrust.com.

For more information please contact:

Melissa Tait - Fleishman-Hillard
0207 395 7170
melissa.tait@fleishmaneurope.com 

Ed Staite – Fleishman-Hillard
0207 395 7188  
edward.staite@fleishmaneurope.com