Sustainability
11 August 2026

Redefining waste: Panda's latest Sustainability Report

At Panda, sustainability is about more than managing waste. It's about recovering valuable resources, reducing environmental impact and helping build a more circular future. Our fourth sustainability report, and the first published under our unified Panda brand, highlights the progress we've made across our operations. From increasing renewable energy generation and maintaining industry-leading recycling rates to investing in our people, safety and governance, the report reflects the work taking place across every part of our business.  

Behind every statistic is the dedication of our 2,929 colleagues, who work every day to help recover valuable resources, reduce environmental impact and create a more sustainable future. For us, waste is never the end of the story. It's the beginning of something new. For our UK customers, this means continued investment in smarter, more sustainable waste services that help recover more resources, reduce emissions and unlock greater value from waste. 

Every year, Panda manages 4.9 million tonnes of waste, achieving a 97% recycling and recovery rate while keeping valuable materials in circulation for longer. Behind those numbers are the people, innovation and investments helping businesses across the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands move closer to a circular economy. 

Collected today, recovered tomorrow and back in circulation by the next time you go shopping, that's the circular economy in action. It's the principle that drives everything we do; we don't simply manage waste, we unlock its value.  

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Environment

  • We managed 4.9 million tonnes of waste across our operations in 2025, maintaining a 97% recycling and recovery rate, keeping materials in circulation.

  • Our renewable energy generation hit 71,328 MWh, which means we produced 40% more energy than we consumed, feeding the surplus back into the national grid.

  • We’re committed to net zero by 2040, with a 42% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.

Social

  • Our team completed 158,649 training hours in 2025, embedding safety and sustainability into the DNA of every role.

  • We’ve grown our apprenticeship programme to 25 young people, bringing fresh perspectives to circular economy challenges and building the workforce of tomorrow.

  • Our Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate went down to 3.6 (from 4.2), proving a safety-first culture.

Governance

  • We’ve implemented comprehensive anti-bribery and corruption training across all levels of the organisation.

  • Our GRESB ESG score went up to 93 (from 87), reflecting deepening maturity across environmental, social, and governance performance.

  • As we prepare for CSRD compliance in 2028, we keep building governance frameworks for a better future for all.

Investing in a lower carbon future 

Reducing emissions remains one of our biggest priorities. Across the Group, we're progressing towards our ambition of achieving Net Zero by 2040 through investment in lower carbon technologies, renewable energy and more efficient operations. 

For our UK operations, that includes completing climate risk assessments across our sites, expanding the use of telematics to improve fleet efficiency and continuing the transition towards lower carbon vehicles, including CNG and electric alternatives. 

 

Supporting the circular economy 

Recovering more resources from waste is central to everything we do. 

Throughout 2025, we continued expanding our recycling and treatment capacity, investing in new technologies and developing innovative ways to give materials a second life. From plastics and metals to wood and food waste, we're helping keep valuable resources in use for longer while supporting national recycling ambitions across the UK and Ireland. 

Innovation also remains a key focus, with continued investment in technologies that improve material quality, increase recovery rates and help customers recycle more effectively. 

 

Putting safety first 

Creating safer operations continues to be a priority across the business. 

In 2025, fire risk assessments were completed across 36 processing sites, leading to a €3.5 million investment in advanced fire detection and suppression systems. These improvements help protect our people, infrastructure and the communities we serve, with further investment planned during 2026. 

 

Investing in our people 

Sustainability starts with people. 

Over the past year, we continued investing in learning and development, expanding our apprenticeship programme, strengthening leadership capability and embedding new technologies that support colleague development across the Group. With the majority of apprentices based in the UK, we're helping develop the next generation of talent while building the skills needed for a more sustainable future. 

As we continue to invest across the UK and Ireland, our priorities for 2026 include:

  • Expanding our renewable energy generation with new rooftop solar PV installations at our Caythorpe and Knockharley facilities.
  • Growing our lower carbon fleet through the introduction of additional CNG-powered vehicles and enhanced telematics to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.
  • Increasing resource recovery by submitting new end-of-waste applications to transform more materials into valuable secondary resources.
  • Strengthening climate resilience by completing climate adaptation plans across our operational sites.
  • Continuing to invest in our people through expanded learning, leadership development and apprenticeship programmes, helping build the skills needed for a more sustainable future.

Our latest Sustainability Report demonstrates that meaningful progress comes from continuous investment, innovation and collaboration. It's a journey we're proud to be on, and one we're excited to continue alongside our customers and communities.

Read our 2025 Sustainability Report

to discover how Panda is helping redefine waste and create a more sustainable future.