Keeping earth in order - Macphie

Environmental concerns are a hot issue for consumers. They want the businesses they buy from to do their bit for the planet too – and without it costing them the earth.

Home for us is the Aberdeenshire countryside and looking out on to rolling green fields provides no better reminder to take care of the world around us. And as a certified B-Corporation, we are continually reviewing our sustainability agenda in order to support our customers, consumers and the overall environment.

Macphie products come with sustainability baked in. Our initiatives to continually improve our own sustainability means our customers benefit from a low-carbon supply chain and contribute to the community with every order.

 

Our recycled and recyclable packaging enables our customers to cut their landfill waste. It’s designed to protect the products and ensure they remain at the top of their game for the duration of their shelf life.

We are constantly evolving our packaging to reduce our environmental impacts, and we work with our suppliers to ensure we are at the forefront of innovation to improve recycling. Our Tetra Pak’s for example, are made from 87% renewable materials, and use 2.2 times less fossil plastic than those previously used.

Across our packaging we sign post what can be done with it after you have finished every last drop of it! We know that lots of our customers have inventive ways to re-use our packaging, and it always makes us smile to see this.

We know that business recycling differs across local authorities so please check locally what you need to do. To find out more, visit our packaging page.

 

Demand for meat-free and plant-based products are on the rise. Not only are people more health conscious, but they are also more aware of the impact food has on the climate.

Our products are designed to work beautifully with sustainable ingredients, such as meat-free options. Try combining beef and lentils with Macphie Béchamel with Butter Sauce to create a lasagna, or replace tortilla chips with sweet potatoes when in season to make this nachos dish.

Likewise, seasonal produce changes over the course of the year, but Macphie products are versatile enough to create foods that work with the best of the season, all year round.

Take our Béchamel with Butter Sauce for example – by combining with a seasonal product (in bold for each season) you can make a lobster thermidor in spring, an aubergine parmie burger in summer, roasted squash kale and mascarpone cannelloni in autumn and finally cauliflower cheese in winter.

 

Sustainability is embedded in our values at Macphie. It is our way of working.

Back in 2008, we installed a biomass plant, which made us the first food manufacturer to produce ingredients using this technology. Just six years later, we installed two on-site wind turbines, and more recently we installed solar panels at both our Glenbervie and Tannochside sites, meaning all the energy we use to make our products comes from a renewable source.

Macphie wind turbines

In addition, most of our liquid waste from manufacturing processes is treated and returned to the local river at the same quality, which is monitored by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. On top of this, over 50% of solid waste is recycled, reused or composted by Glenbervie Home Farm, which limits the businesses’ waste total.

Finally, we give back to our communities. We have partnered up with FareShare, the UK’s largest charitable food redistribution network that redirect surplus food to those who need it. Since 2022, we have been able to help 942 charities by donating over 24 tonnes of food – which is the equivalent of over 60,000 meals and 42 tonnes of C02 prevented from being wasted.

We also donate one percent of our profits to local charities and community groups every year. Last year alone we donated £50,000 to over 100 causes such as local youth football teams, events in the area and supporting the committees behind local golf courses, green spaces and play parks.

For more information on our wider commitment to our environment visit our Force for Good page.