• About FDF
• Our Priorities
• Members list
• News
• Policy Briefings
• FDF Responses
• The Industry
  • About the Industry
  • Industry stats and trends
  • Industry Case Studies
    • Culture, Media and Sport
    • Careers
    • Education
    • Environment
      • Five-fold Ambition 2011
      • Five-fold Ambition 2010
    • Exports
    • Good Employer
    • Health and Wellbeing
    • Local Community
    • Reformulation
    • Workplace Wellbeing
  • Industry Standards
  • Exports
  • Food Sectors
  • Manufacturing showcase
• Events
• Publications
• Campaigns
• FAQs
• Polls

Case Study - Nestlé UK

Gold Award Winner of 2011 Community Partnership Awards: Environmental business

Nestlé Biodiversity Butterfly Meadow

Whilst being a relatively small project in scale, the CPA judges felt that the Butterfly Meadow had taken environmental forward thinking to a new level. Although many companies have now mainstreamed business commitments on water, waste and carbon, few had begun to tackle their responsibility to the local natural habitat.

In addition to publicly stated targets on reducing water usage, carbon emissions and reducing waste, Nestlé decided to establish an integrated sustainability approach to be tested at a 'lighthouse factory'. The purpose of the lighthouse factory is to pilot techniques which can accelerate progress towards Nestlé's sustainability vision and which can be scaled up and used in other factories and across the business.

The chosen factory was the confectionery plant in Fawdon, near Newcastle, located within an industrial/residential area where there had been little focus on natural habitat.

Part of the strategy was to establish a natural capital site, encouraging indigenous wildlife to return back to the site and act as indicators of its environmental fi tness. Over 100 Nestlé employees and members of the community helped to plant a wild fl ower meadow on site to attract back to the area a wide range of butterfly species. Until recently there had been only a small number of local varieties.

Nestlé worked closely with Natural England, the Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the local Butterfl y Conservation Group to ensure that the planted species created the perfect habitat for re-colonisation by local butterfly species. Regular visitors to the meadow include the Large White and Red Admiral and it is hoped that the meadow will attract a further ten varieties.

Nestlé will continue to work with its local partners to maintain and monitor the area. Employees have been trained to identify the species and to keep a daily log of those appearing in the meadow and the success of the project will be measured in part by the number of species returning to the area.

More Information

View all the winning Community Partnership Awards case studies (2011)