SUSTAINABILITY
Our Journey & Approach
LATEST REPORTS
SUSTAINABILITY PROGRESS UPDATE 2026
Find out more about our sustainability journey in our 2026 Sustainability Progress Update Report, published June 2026.
Net Zero Roadmap 2024 Progress Report
Find out more about our Net Zero Roadmap download report for 2024, published November 2024.
SOURCING STANDARD REPORT 2023
Find out more about our Sourcing Standard, download the report for 2023
At Lactalis in the UK, we take our environmental and social responsibilities seriously and are fully aligned with Lactalis Group’s strategy. As part of the Group, our CSR work at Lactalis in the UK follows a global framework focused on the sustainability issues that matter most:
Together, these pillars show how we focus on the wellbeing of our teams and communities, provide nutritious and enjoyable dairy products and take meaningful action to reduce our impacts and manage our environmental and social performance.
Lactalis in the UK partners with industry organisations and experts to drive progress across our sector. We also stay focused on meeting customer and consumer needs while helping to strengthen the resilience of the UK food system.Â
Our sustainability journey
OUR APPROACH
Our approach to sustainability for both Lactalis UK & Ireland and Lactalis Nestlé Chilled Dairy (LNCD) is focused on what’s important to our businesses, but also crucially what is important to our stakeholders, including our employees and suppliers, our farmers and our customers. The wider needs of society and the environment are also critical.
In addressing a range of sustainability issues, we have four core areas of focus:
CLIMATE
Minimising our impact on the environment
Carbon Emissions
Looking After The Enviroment
Sustainable Logistics
ANIMAL WELFARE
Supporting our partnering farms in promoting high standards of animal welfare and sustainability
Supporting Farmers
Animal Welfare
PRODUCT & PACKAGING
Producing the best dairy products for quality and sustainability
Food Waste
Transparency & Responsible Marketing
Packaging
Nutrition
PEOPLE
Pursuing excellence and opportunity for all
Health & Safety
Attracting & Developing People
Supporting Local Communities
OUR 2050 AMBITION
We have made a solid start to our sustainability journey.
We have set out a clear pathway to make further improvements and have clear commitments for each of our focus areas.
CLIMATE
Minimising our impact on the enviroment
Lactalis Group commits to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2050.
ANIMAL WELFARE
We want to lead the way to a more sustainable future by embracing science, stewardship and technology in our journey. As one of the UK’s leading dairy businesses, we’re proud to support our contracted farmers who share our commitment to uphold high milk quality, animal welfare and environment standards on farm.
38,000
Animals cared for by our farmer suppliers
120
Contracted farmers
Our supplying farmers must comply with Red Tractor’s comprehensive standards which underpin animal health and welfare practices on farm.
OUR COMMITMENTS
- All farms audited against Lactalis Sustain animal welfare standards, and all farms provide herd health plans.
- Reduction of on-farm antibiotic use.
- Continue participation with industry initiatives including UK Dairy Roadmap, Future Dairy Partnership and Digital Dairy Chain.
SUSTAINABILITY PAYMENT
Our farmers share our commitment to high standards of animal welfare and protecting the environment.
We continue working with our farmers and include the Sustainability Payment element to the price we pay for milk
used in our products. The Sustainability Payment has also been consolidated into the updated Milk Supply contract.​
The Sustainability Payment rewards our farmers for participating in key initiatives
which include:
Antibiotic Benchmarking
To maintain the effectiveness of antibiotics and limit the risk of antimicrobial resistance build-up, our farmers participate in an annual monitoring programme and consent to their vets sharing details about antibiotic use.
Farmers and their vets discuss the results and implement preventative measures​ to reduce the amount of antibiotics used to manage herd health and welfare.
Carbon Footprint
Through carbon audits on our farms, we identify the steps each farmer can take to reduce greenhouse emissions. Qualified advisors make recommendations to reduce farm emission footprints and we work with farmers to achieve our shared goal of a low carbon future.
Herd Health Plan
Herd Health Plans reduce antibiotic use on farm and monitor herd health. These bespoke plans are created with the​ farms’ vets, and focus​ on preventative health measures including good biosecurity, hygiene, nutrition and vaccine use. Farmers are required to submit their plans and health​ performance information to us annually.​
This enables the collation​ of data on key welfare outcomes and allows us to monitor herd health across our farms.
The Lactalis Development Group
The Lactalis Development Group brings our supplying farmers together enabling them to work collaboratively to share knowledge and best practice. Through training and workshops, we provide inspiration and support to help farmers elevate on-farm standards. Our farmers are required to attend at least two of these development initiatives each year.
PRODUCT & PACKAGING
PROMOTING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Our Vison
Moving towards more circular and responsible packaging
Packaging production and disposal use natural resources and can impact the environment and biodiversity.
At the same time, packaging plays a vital role in protecting dairy products and ensuring they reach consumers safely; maintaining quality and nutritional value. That’s why we take responsibility for its impact by engaging stakeholders, raising awareness and working together to develop innovative, circular packaging solutions.
Lactalis Group’s Packaging Policy aims to deliver quality products through innovation and continuous improvement, identifying the ‘right packaging’ at every stage of development and use. Across the supply chain, the objective is to ensure better circularity wherever possible.
THE POLICY IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PILLARS
- The right packaging: finding the right balance as part of the design process between reducing packaging and guaranteeing the preservation, quality and practicality of products.​
-
Improved circularity: using safe and sustainable materials so packaging forms part of a circularity approach.​
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Raising consumer awareness and creating partnerships: working together to close the loop.​
For more information on Lactalis Group Packaging Policy, please visit:
lactalis.com/en/our-csr-commitments
PROMOTING A HEALTH AND BALANCE DIET
Because eating well starts with choosing quality products and ingredients that people enjoy preparing and sharing with others:
- We’re committed to combining simplicity, taste and nutritional requirements.
- We continuously look for the right balance between taste and levels of fat, sugar and salt, recognising that food enjoyment supports a long‑term balanced Diet
Our focus areas are:
Monitoring sugar and salt across our product portfolio.
Nutritional information and consumer awareness
Simple recipes and ingredients
PEOPLE
Pursuing excellence and opportunity for all.
At Lactalis, people matter. We are a family business connected by shared values, ethics and a passion for making products that bring people closer together.
GOOD EMPLOYER | OUR COMMUNITIES
By 2033, no more than 60% of one gender in leadership positions.
100% of all newcomers trained in DE&I starting from 2024
The company will match employee fundraising for our chosen charity up to agreed target levels each year.
Commit to running an employee engagement survey every 2 years.
Roll out our volunteer scheme and build year-on-year participation rates