EMISSIONS OVERVIEW: 2024 VS. 2023
In 2024:
• 6 new members joined the Group since our last sustainability report and 4 wholesalers have since merged.
• Operational emissions rose by 40%, largely driven by increased fuel usage in vehicle fleets.
• Carbon intensity rose by 35%, affected by the inclusion of new members with higher operational demands.
• Vehicle emissions remain the most significant source of carbon output across the Group.
Priorities Moving Forward
As our network grows, so does our potential for positive change. The following key emission hot spots will continue to be a major focus for reduction efforts across the Group:
• Vehicle Fleets – Transitioning to lower-emission or alternative fuel vehicles.
• Commuting – Supporting carpooling and flexible work models.
• Electricity – Boosting energy efficiency and switching to renewable sources.
• Cooling Systems – Reducing refrigerant leaks and modernising equipment.
These focus areas reflect where we can make the greatest impact quickly and collaboratively.
SUSTAINABILITY IN ACTION
Sustainability isn’t just a metric — it’s part of how we operate and influence the industry.
Through our Operations Forum, members share insights and best practice to tackle shared challenges, while our Central Office trading team ensures our product range meets evolving environmental standards. Together, we're embedding sustainability into every part of the Group.
Our Country Range own brand continues to support the industry — not just through packaging improvements, but by investing in future talent. We’re proud to be headline sponsor of the 2025/2026 Springboard FutureChef competition, the UK’s largest school cooking programme. With over 25,000 participants annually — and 24% entering the catering industry — this builds on our decadelong support of the Country Range Student Chef Challenge.
We also believe in using our platform for good. This year, CRG supported the Mines Advisory Group’s Bikes Against Bombs ride in Tanzania, raising £67,000 as part of a £270,000 industry total to help clear landmines and support vulnerable communities.
At our Annual Exhibition and Conference in Belfast, over £4.3 million in orders were placed, but just as importantly, 1.51 tonnes of surplus stock were donated to FareShare, supporting the local community by providing:
• 3,595 meals
• Support for 22 charities
• Avoidance of 3.02 tonnes of CO2e
From collaboration to community, sustainability remains central to who we are — and where we’re going.
Committed to Scotland’s Environmental Sustainability
As a leading supplier of food and drinks in Scotland, Dunns are fully invested in sustainability. In 2025 we are celebrating 150 years of serving Scotland and to help mark the milestone, we committed over £1.5 million to a range of major sustainability initiatives including energy-efficient freezers, solar panels, and electric vehicles. These measures are already helping to reduce our environmental impact going in to our next 150 years, as well as contributing to Scotland’s net zero goals.
Approaching our 150th anniversary, we made substantial investments totalling in excess of £1.5 million specifically towards sustainability initiatives and contributing to Net Zero ambitions.
This commitment includes a new £1 million CO2 refrigeration system, 1400m² of solar panels and energy-efficient LED lighting with motion sensors. These efforts underpin our leadership in the industry and a proactive approach to environmental stewardship, influencing both customers and suppliers towards more sustainable practices.
KEY INITIATIVES
We continue to strive daily in order to find efficiencies for 2025/26 and beyond.
• Route Optimisation: All of our delivery routes are now equipped with handheld devices for route optimisation and efficient management of deliveries.
• Pallet Wrapping: We have recently installed a new pallet wrapping machine to reduce wastage, as well as switching to a new thinner and more sustainable wrap.
• New Balers: New balers have been installed to help convert bulky packaging waste in to dense bales, reducing volumes sent to landfill. The process lowers collection frequency, cutting associated emissions from transport.
• Warehouse Equipment: Older warehousing equipment has been replaced with new energy efficient tools including electric pallet trucks and forklifts. We are also trialling Opafleet – a fleet management system that improves warehouse operation efficiency.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS
We actively seek to promote a wide variety of sustainable products. This year we have launched ‘Epicure’, a new range of fine foods that includes speciality local suppliers to reduce road miles. It also features product lines like RESQ Ingredients, made from air-dried fruits previously deemed unusable. We also offer everything from our own range of 100% recyclable bag-in-box dispense soft drinks to ecoSPIRITS, an innovative low-carbon, low-waste range for spirits distribution. These provide sustainability improvements, but also economic advantages through reduced packaging and transport costs.
TRANSPORTATION AND FLEET EFFICIENCY
Improvements have been made through the adoption of electric vehicles across our sales team, and the installation of solar-powered charging points. Our entire delivery fleet now uses handheld devices for route optimisation, whilst we have also participated in trials of electric delivery trucks through the Scottish Wholesale Association's decarbonising wholesale project.
Combatting Food Waste
To combat food waste, our team undertake enormous daily efforts in order to reduce stocks of date issue products before they become a problem. We are also pleased to support local charities like Share Alike in East Kilbride with surplus stocks in order to help address homelessness and hunger in our communities.
Community Links
We have been working closely with our local charity partner Community Links to run ‘Making a Meal of it’ sessions in our development kitchen in order to help local families create healthy, budget-friendly meals using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Led by our Executive Development Chef, the sessions have gone down a treat with locals getting started on their sustainable cooking journey.
