With nearly 2,000 employees, Encirc operates from three sites located in Derrylin, Co Fermanagh; Elton, Cheshire; and Avonmouth, Bristol. The company produces more than three billion glass containers annually and can fill up to 400 million litres of bulk-shipped beverages each year. Encirc’s integrated supply chain approach, featuring Europe’s largest bonded warehouse, offers significant cost and environmental savings to its customers. The company’s achievements have been recognised with several prestigious industry awards, including NI Responsible Company of the Year 2022 and Sustainable Manufacturer of the Year 2022.

What Encirc did

Encirc’s biodiversity initiatives contribute to environmental sustainability and foster strong community ties, enhance employee wellbeing and build a resilient and reputable business.

Encirc has implemented a comprehensive Biodiversity Strategy to enhancethe workplace and the local communities it serves. This initiative is led by Sustainability Director Fiacre O’Donnell and supported by a dedicated budget of £20,000 for the year 2023. The strategy encompasses a wide range of actions designed to promote environmental sustainability and community engagement.

At the core of the strategy is its Biodiversity Committee which has grown to 45 members. This committee is responsible for setting goals, such as improving natural environments, making green spaces accessible, raising biodiversity awareness, and expanding the impact of projects through local partnerships. Each project is carefully planned and executed by Encirc staff, ensuring that the initiatives are community-led and sustainable.

Encirc collaborates with local schools, businesses, and councils to foster a sense of community and encourage volunteerism. Projects range from creating vegetable gardens and building ponds to constructing sensory gardens and organising litter awareness talks. These initiatives enhance biodiversity and promote health and wellbeing among employees and local residents. For example, Encirc has invested in a looped walkway on its site to encourage physical activity whileproviding a space for nature to thrive.

Stakeholder collaboration is a key component of Encirc’s approach. The company works closely with various organisations, including local councils, Ulster Wildlife, Water NI, and Men’s Shed groups, to execute projects and amplify the biodiversity message. This collaborative effort extends to local businesses, with seven companies already partnering with Encirc to support biodiversity initiatives. These partnerships provide additional resources and capacity, enabling Encirc to achieve more substantial and impactful outcomes.

The Biodiversity Committee meticulously plans each project, creating detailed charters and timelines to ensure successful implementation. Activities are reviewed and approved at the end of each year, with a budget report generated to cover necessary resources. Encirc staff visit schools to help devise tailored plans, provide resources, and offer expertise, empowering schools to lead their projects while maintaining ongoing support and guidance.

Key Impacts and Outcomes

• Revived and improved more than 78,000 m² of natural habitat in Fermanagh and enhanced biodiversity through planting initiatives and habitat creation
• Engaged more than 1,500 pupils across 10 schools in biodiversity projects, supported schools with resources, expertise, and manpower, empowering them to lead their projects
• Organised educational events, such as litter awareness talks and Grandparents Day, reaching multiple generations
• Developed on-site looped walkways promoting staff health and wellbeing
• Collaborated with Men’s Shed groups to address rural isolation and mental health issues by supplying benches and equipment for projects
• Provided environmental training to 86 employees, with courses on environmental awareness, carbon literacy, and business sustainability and trained 45 members of the Biodiversity Committee, representing 10% of the workforce, in biodiversity practices
• Achieved Platinum Level in the Business and Biodiversity Charter since 2019 and maintained Platinum Level in the NI Environmental Benchmarking Survey for four consecutive years

What the Judges said

“Encirc is going over and above in its commitment and contribution to biodiversity in NI. Throughout the judging process, Encirc demonstrated a commitment to shared learning and that it is bringing other organisations along with it. The company’s schools project goes to great lengths to inspire the next generation to care about wildlife and wild places and is a great example of a project that is truly helping to give back to the local community.”