British American Tobacco – Circular economy

Circular Economy at BAT

Introduction

Circularity is at the heart of how we seek to manage resources. From minimising operational waste to innovative New Category product designs, we are working to address a growing global concern about plastic and other waste.

Material Topics

Following our Double Materiality assessment in 2022, Circular Economy has been identified as one of our 11 material topics. It is part of the ‘Tier 1’ category of material topics for BAT, along with Climate Change.

Goals

Our goal at BAT is to adopt circular economy principles to help us deliver better products for our consumers, create efficiencies in our operations, offer our employees opportunities to innovate, and ultimately reduce our overall environmental impact on the planet.

Strategic Priorities

• Simplify: We aim to simplify the design of our products to improve recyclability and reduce our use of virgin materials and resources.
• Maximise: We strive to maximize the longevity of our products to improve the experience for our consumers.
• Recover: We aim to minimize waste through increased product recovery and recycling.

For more information, please refer to our Group Circular Economy Position Statement.

Designing for End-of-Life

Butt littering and disposal of New Category products are two big challenges we face.

Butt littering is a complex topic with no easy answers. We are committed to working with consumers to enhance their understanding of the impact of butt littering and encourage responsible disposal. In 2023, we will roll out a new butt littering toolkit across BAT, which utilizes learnings from our existing initiatives to focus on approaches that have proved to be most effective and resonated best with consumers. In 2022, we continued to implement campaigns across Italy, Denmark, France, and Romania – among other countries.

To support consumers with responsible disposal, we also have take-back schemes in all markets where we sell New Category devices. These schemes include device return containers in our directly-operated and third-party retail outlets, as well as participation in national electrical equipment return and recycling schemes.

Take-Back schemes allow for the responsible disposal of end-of-life products, which can range from recycling to incineration with energy recovery, depending on local infrastructure, capacities, and regulatory environment.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Sustainable Development Goal: SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
• Indicator 12.5.1: National recycling rate, tons of material recycled.

2. Sustainable Development Goal: SDG 13 – Climate Action

• Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.
• Indicator 13.3.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning measures into primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula.

3. Sustainable Development Goal: SDG 14 – Life Below Water

• Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.
• Indicator 14.1.1: Index of coastal eutrophication and floating plastic debris density.

4. Sustainable Development Goal: SDG 15 – Life on Land

• Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.
• Indicator 15.5.1: Red List Index.

Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are:

– Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.

– Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.

– Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.

– Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, there are indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

– Indicator 12.5.1: National recycling rate, tons of material recycled.

– Indicator 13.3.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning measures into primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula.

– Indicator 14.1.1: Index of coastal eutrophication and floating plastic debris density.

– Indicator 15.5.1: Red List Index.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: bat.com

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