SUSTAINABILITY POLICY 2030

Policy Effective Date: June 2025
Target Achievement Date: December 2030

1. OUR COMMITMENT

Hot Sauces Cartel Ltd is committed to operating sustainably and responsibly. We recognize our role in protecting the environment and supporting our communities while building a profitable, ethical business in the hot sauce industry.

2. SUSTAINABILITY GOALS BY 2030

Environmental Goals:

• Carbon Neutral Operations: Achieve net-zero carbon emissions across all direct operations
• Sustainable Sourcing: 100% of key ingredients sourced from certified sustainable suppliers
• Waste Reduction: Achieve 90% waste diversion from landfill through recycling and composting
• Packaging: Transition to 100% recyclable or compostable packaging materials
• Water Efficiency: Reduce water usage per unit produced by 50%

Social Goals:

• Local Sourcing: Maintain 80%+ of suppliers within 200 miles of operations
• Fair Trade: Source 50% of key ingredients from fair trade certified suppliers
• Community Support: Donate 1% of annual profits to local food security initiatives
• Employee Wellbeing: Maintain living wage standards for all employees

Economic Goals:

• Sustainable Growth: Achieve profitable growth while maintaining sustainability commitments
• Supply Chain Resilience: Build diverse, reliable supplier relationships
• Innovation Investment: Allocate 2% of revenue to sustainable product development

3. KEY FOCUS AREAS

Sustainable Ingredients

• Partner with UK farmers using regenerative agriculture practices
• Prioritize locally grown peppers 
• Support biodiversity through diverse ingredient sourcing
• Eliminate ingredients linked to deforestation

Eco-Friendly Packaging

• Transition from PET plastic to RPET where feasible
• Use recycled cardboard for shipping materials
• By 2030 implement refillable bottle programs for local customers
• Minimize packaging waste through efficient design

Carbon Footprint Reduction

• Optimize delivery routes to reduce transportation emissions
• Partner with carbon-neutral shipping providers
• Implement energy-efficient practices in operations
• Offset remaining emissions through verified carbon credits

Circular Economy

• Develop sauce bottle return and refill programs
• Compost organic waste from production
• Partner with local businesses for waste stream utilization
• Design products for maximum recyclability

4. IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP

2025-2026: Foundation Year

• Conduct comprehensive sustainability audit
• Establish baseline measurements for all key metrics
• Begin supplier sustainability assessments
• Launch employee sustainability training program

2027-2028: Acceleration Phase

• Implement sustainable packaging transitions
• Establish fair trade supplier partnerships
• Launch community engagement initiatives
• Achieve 50% of waste diversion targets

2029-2030: Achievement Phase

• Complete transition to sustainable operations
• Achieve all 2030 targets
• Prepare for next phase of sustainability goals
• Share learnings with industry peers

5. MEASUREMENT & REPORTING

We will track and report progress through:

• Annual Sustainability Reports circulated on request 
• Key Performance Indicators monitored quarterly
• Third-party Verification of major claims and achievements
• Stakeholder Engagement through regular updates and feedback sessions

Key Metrics:

• Carbon emissions per unit produced
• Percentage of sustainable ingredients
• Waste diversion rates
• Local supplier percentage
• Community investment amounts
• Employee satisfaction scores

6. GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY

• Board Oversight: Sustainability progress reviewed at 6-montly board meetings
• Employee Responsibility: All team members have sustainability objectives
• Supplier Requirements: Sustainability criteria included in all supplier agreements
• Customer Engagement: Regular communication about our sustainability journey

7. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

We commit to:

• Annual policy review and updates
• Staying current with industry best practices
• Engaging with sustainability experts and consultants
• Participating in relevant industry sustainability initiatives

8. TRANSPARENCY

This policy and our progress will be:

• Published and sent out on request 
• Shared with all suppliers and partners on request 
• Communicated to customers through marketing materials.