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Our Sustainability Journey

Sustainability is a long journey, these are our first steps to becoming one of the UK's most sustainable importers, distributers and brand builders.

We're committed to meeting the needs of our retailers, customers and end users of our products, without comprising the quality of life for future generations. 

To do this we are focusing on 3 keys areas which we believe bring the largest positive change: Our Packaging, Our Buildings & Our Supply Chain. We are also keen to aligned our efforts to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals, which are 17 goals put in place as a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. Find all the 17 goals in the video below or on the UN's Website.

Our Strategy

Our Packaging

We are currently renewing the way we look at our products and the number of single-use plastics used. We are not just looking at the final packaging that you will see on shelves, but also what materials are used to get them to stores.

Our Buildings

Revitalising our Head office and Warehouse is a key strategy for our sustainability plans. From updating to more energy-efficient lights to increased recycling and sustainability training, we are committing to make a positive change in our industry.

Our Supply Chain

As a worldwide importer and distributor, we recognise the importance for us to monitor our supply chain. By suggesting and putting in place regenerative practices to help sustainable efforts along our entire supply chain.

Our Office

We are currently making many small steps within our office to increase our efficiency to create longer and lasting benefits. This includes:

  • Sustainability Training - increasing knowledge sharing to provide staff with the information to make informed and better choices inside the office and in their daily lives.
  • Energy efficient electronics - for example changing from halogen to leds and on motion sensors to stop electricity wastage.
  • We are actively reducing paper printing and monitoring our efforts to ensure continued improvement in our office and warehouse.
  • Dairy alternatives in staff rooms to offset use of diary.
  • Using recycled packaging materials for deliverys and for posting. 

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Volunteering & Charity

Our plans this year include increasing the amount of volunteering and charity efforts within our local community and further afield. We currently donate to these local food banks:

  • Harrow Food Bank - our staff regularly organise food drives for our local food bank, which provides emergency food boxes that provide 3 days worth of food to our local community. 
  • London City Harvest - At Exhibitions we use London City Harvest to utilise remaining food from our stand's cooking demos and sampling.
  • Volunteering Days - Staff have allocated volunteering days
  • Mindfood - Corporate staff days volunteering at Mindfood a local charity that grows food for people dealing with stress, depression and anxiety.

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New Supplier Standards

One way we are renewing our supply chain is by creating a foundation of new supplier standards. From ingredients used in our own branded products to the stationery and paper used in our head office. 

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Using time-proven techniques and traditions for preserving.

Mrs Elswood Sustainability Pager

This approach has helped us maintain sustainable production methods.

Mrs Elswood Packaging 

  • Metal Caps - The caps in our jars are made of recycled steel.  The tinplate used to make the caps is made of sheets of steel coated with a thin layer of tin.  Metal recycles forever and holds its value for much longer.
  • Glass Jars - Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss in quality or purity. Unlike plastic containers, glass jars are inert and do not react with or migrate into food products.
  • Paper Labels - It’s made from renewable sources, FSC certified paper and water based inks, which avoid the use of solvents. 
  • Cases - The jars sit in recyclable cardboard trays and are wrapped by a 50% recycled plastic film.

No Wastage

  • Cucumber Harvest - Because all the cucumber harvest is used and can be preserved in brine, there is little to no food waste. 
  • Pickling Brine - The cucumbers are pickled directly into shelf ready jars for consumers. This means the brine is made to order, with no left over brine wasted. 
  • Field Growing - Our cucumbers are grown in the field and processed when they are fresh.  That means that no energy has been used to keep them warm in a green house or to keep them cool in a refrigerator.

Transport

  • Our cucumbers do not fly. - They only travel by ground vehicles, in ambient temperature - and a relatively short distance.
  • Ingredient Sourcing - The majority of ingredients used in the pickles is sourced locally to the production factory. For example the vinegar used in the brine is made at the same factory. 

Low Emissions

  • CO2 emissions - The growing, harvesting, packing and transporting of our pickles is done in a way that minimises CO2 emission. The factory is also powered with green energy mainly from hydro power.
  • Water usage in production - The water used for growing the cucumbers comes from local rivers and ground water rather than tap. When cucumbers arrive to be jarred they are washed using recycled water and rain water is used to cool down the jars after they have been heat sealed.