The roadmap to 2030 – Our progress so far

We have just unveiled our inaugural Sustainability Report to highlight the remarkable progress made towards the objectives set out in our Sustainability Roadmap to 2030. This report, available for download, not only offers an in-depth look at our sustainability accomplishments but outlines our future ESG initiatives. It is a testament to our commitment to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2030 and showcases the beneficial impacts of our sustainable practices.

Our sustainability efforts and progress are all structured around four key pillars: Environment, Innovation, People and Community. Each plays a vital role, from reducing emissions and energy consumption to focusing on employee welfare and innovative, eco-friendly product development.

In this blog, we’ll show how each of these pillars define our approach to integrating sustainable practices into every aspect of our operations and celebrate the progress we have made to date.

Environment

Our approach to environmental sustainability combines best practice with a dedication to sustainable manufacturing and operational efficiencies. As part of this, we have focused on several key areas throughout the last 12 months in our mission to be environmentally responsible.

Firstly, all of our electricity is derived from sustainable sources, and last year we upgraded our Huntingdon cleanrooms to significantly reduce energy consumption, which we’re hoping to reduce even further next year as we continue to drive decarbonisation. Our efforts in refurbishing our cleanrooms have even received industry recognition, as the project was named a finalist at the 2024 edie Sustainability Awards. The criteria for the awards are extremely thorough, so making it to the finalist stage is a remarkable achievement and one we’re really proud of.

Alongside this, we’re making a dedicated effort to reduce our water consumption. In 2023, we cut our freshwater usage by 16 percent, showcasing our commitment to resource conservation. In line with our zero-waste ambitions, we are working towards achieving zero waste to landfill by the end of 2024. In the latest step towards this, last year all of the waste from PHBU and FFEI was diverted from landfill, of which nearly 40 percent was recycled.

To add to that, we have championed more environmentally transport for all our team, installing 12 EV charging stations and having 16 people enrolled in our Electric Vehicle Scheme.

Innovation

Last year was transformative in our innovation journey. Since launching our Sustainability Roadmap back in 2020, we have made substantial progress, with our innovations in material sourcing and resource and energy utilisation key to this.

Now, our primary focus is the many ways that our technologies deliver transformational sustainability impacts to our customers and partners. Led by our R&D Team, we are much better able to assess and communicate the external impact of our technologies on our value chain.

At the heart of our innovation lies a sustainable product philosophy that’s redefining the next generation of print technology. Our collaboration with Swansea University provides compelling evidence of the Aquinox printhead's sustainability benefits, particularly in its capacity to reduce ink usage through our Ultra High Viscosity Technology. This reduction in ink lowers transportations costs for customers and lowers process energy requirements, contributing significantly to their sustainability goals. By enabling the jetting of water-based inks with a higher viscosity, we are also delivering enhanced colour impact. This is due to the lower amount of water in these high-viscosity inks, resulting in less absorption into the substrate and enhancing colour without additional pigment.

Additionally, the reduced ink volume on substrates leads to less energy required for drying. The Swansea team's research confirms the energy-saving potential of our printheads and technologies, and is an example of our commitment to innovation and efforts to reduce environmental impact in the printing industry. These latest sustainability developments formed part of our “Seeing is Believing” open day last September, with 84 guests seeing first-hand what is now possible using fluids with higher viscosities and higher particle loading, all enabled by Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity Technology.

People

People are at the heart of any business, and Xaar is no exception. Last year, we invested in 20 people to participate in either a management or leadership development programme. We’re proud to be Great Place to Work certified, and it’s thanks to our people that we were able to achieve this last year.

Throughout 2023, creating a safe working environment was a business focus. We introduced the new Safety Concern Reporting System, a significant step in enhancing workplace safety and health. This initiative has led to increased engagement in health and safety, ensuring that safety practices are a fundamental part of the workplace culture.

Additionally, last year saw 230 employees engage in Health & Safety Week, with talks and training sessions to reinforce the importance of safety in the workplace. The company also celebrated a 63 percent increase in EPIICC awards, acknowledging the excellence and dedication of our employees. Further underlining the commitment to professional growth, we facilitated several individuals in leadership and management development programs, ensuring continuous learning and career advancement.

Community

We’re also proud to be active in our community, which forms a vital part of our Sustainability Roadmap. The company’s efforts in this area are geared towards aligning community outreach with business values. Our strategy includes establishing local charity partnerships, increasing volunteer and charity donation opportunities, and aligning their community outreach with business values. As part of that, a significant focus has been placed on supporting STEM subjects in local communities and schools.

In 2023, we hosted STEM taster sessions, career fairs, after-school clubs, experience days, and career talks. A highlight of these efforts was hosting 21 students for a robotic duck project and 14 students in after-school STEM clubs.

Additionally, our commitment to community involvement is evident through the Volunteering Policy, allowing employees to dedicate time to recognised charities. This policy led to impactful initiatives, such as one of our UK-based colleagues continuing educational support in Kenya by helping local schools.

The Charity Champions, a passionate team across the Xaar Group, has worked tirelessly to raise funds and develop community outreach. Our ongoing partnership with the charity Break has been amazing. To date, we’ve raised £35,772, with the company matching our total for a grand total of £71,544. We’re so thrilled to be continuing our partnership with Break and have some exciting fundraising projects ahead, including bungee jumping and the three peaks challenge.

Break does such amazing work across the East of England, making life better for children and young people on the edge of care, in care and leaving care. Whether that’s through therapeutic services, respite breaks, providing a resilient home or support with parenting, Break supports them through whatever life has in store and offer local children and young people brighter futures.

Looking forward

As we look to the future, our commitment to sustainability becomes even more exciting. We are on track to achieve zero waste to landfill at all our UK sites by the end of 2024 and are set to reduce our UK energy consumption further. Our plans also include offsetting all Scope 3 travel emissions and continuously seeking innovative ways to minimise this impact. The introduction of a Supplier Sustainability Policy and a comprehensive materiality assessment will further refine our strategies and investments in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives.

As you would expect, our focus extends beyond environmental impacts to the well-being of our teams. By expanding our Mental Health First Aiders program and conducting the Great Place to Work Survey each year, our aim is to offer the best possible support to our staff. Additionally, the continued development of our EPIICC Leaders program and Charity Champions network demonstrates our commitment to community engagement and supports important initiatives like our charity relationship with Break.

These efforts show our proactive approach to setting new industry standards in sustainability and driving meaningful change across our business. We are proud of our work to date and focused on continuing our initiatives in the coming years to deliver real change.