Aviva pledges to reduce plastic

05 Jun 2018

We are taking steps to reduce our use of single-use plastic items internationally.

Aviva has pledged to reduce the use of plastic internationally, in a bid to help tackle the growing issue of plastic waste.

Aviva colleagues pledge to cut plastic use

In the UK, where the company is the country’s largest insurer, Aviva has already committed to:

  • Remove all disposable cups from vending machines, water coolers and cafés in its UK offices by the end of 2018.
  • Eliminate single-use plastic at UK sites, including cafes and events, by the middle of 2019* 

Plastic waste is a problem which, quite literally, hasn’t gone away. Experts predict there will be more plastic than fish by weight in the world's oceans by 2050 if we don’t make changes now**.

This issue is crucial to our customers, our employees and the communities we serve. As an international business we have a responsibility to leave a different sort of legacy, so we are looking at the steps we can take worldwide to radically reduce our use of plastic.

Small changes can make a big difference and the pledges we have made demonstrate our commitment to this important cause.

Nick Amin Group Chief Operations and IT Officer, Aviva

The following initiatives to reduce plastic have been introduced across UK sites and will be rolled out across Aviva’s international locations throughout 2018:

Achievements:

  • Compostable cutlery – all sites have stopped ordering plastic cutlery and now use a compostable version
  • Plastic water bottles – plastic water bottles have been removed from hospitality and events in London, Norwich and York and replaced with re-useable glass alternatives.
  • Keep Cups - customers receive a discount for using a reusable cup in Aviva cafes eg a 20 pence discount per drink in the UK. 

Plans:

  • Hospitality plastic water bottles – to be removed from hospitality and events at all other sites (outside London, Norwich and York) and replaced with re-usable alternatives.
  • Café food packaging – alternatives being sought for salad containers and sandwiches.
  • Vending machines – single-use plastic items will be removed where market alternatives exist.
  • Suppliers – we are working with our suppliers to eliminate single-use plastics and encourage them to sign up to the WRAP UK Plastics Pact.

ENDS

Enquiries:

Sarah Poulter
Telephone: 01904 452828
Mobile: 07800 691569
Email: sarah.poulter@aviva.com

* Where alternatives exist in the market. There may be some instances, such as crisp packets, where single-use items contain a small proportion of plastic. Aviva will continue to review products available to ensure that single-use plastic can be eliminated wherever possible. 

** Source: The New Plastics Economy Rethinking the future of plastics - a report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in partnership with the World Economic Forum.

Notes to editors:

  • We are one of the UK’s leading Insurance, Wealth & Retirement businesses and we operate in the UK, Ireland and Canada. We also have international investments in India and China.
  •  We help our 18.7 million customers make the most out of life, plan for the future, and have the confidence that if things go wrong we’ll be there to put it right.
  • We have been taking care of people for more than 325 years, in line with our purpose of being ‘with you today, for a better tomorrow’. In 2022, we paid £23.2 billion in claims and benefits to our customers. 
  • Aviva is a market leader in sustainability. In 2021, we announced our ambition to become Net Zero by 2040, the first major insurance company in the world to do so. This plan means Net Zero carbon emissions from our investments by 2040; setting out a clear pathway to get there with a cut of 25% in the carbon intensity of our investments by 2025 and of 60% by 2030; and Net Zero carbon emissions from our own operations and supply chain by 2030. Find out more about our climate goals at www.aviva.com/climate-goals and our sustainability ambition and action at www.aviva.com/sustainability
  • While we are working towards our sustainability ambitions, we acknowledge that we have relationships with businesses and existing assets that may be associated with significant emissions. More information can be found at https://www.aviva.com/sustainability/climate/
  • Aviva is a Living Wage, Living Pensions and Living Hours employer and provides market-leading benefits for our people, including flexible working, paid carers leave and equal parental leave. Find out more at https://www.aviva.com/about-us/our-people/
  • As at 30 June 2023, total Group assets under management at Aviva Group were £358 billion and our estimated Solvency II shareholder capital surplus was £7.8 billion. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE 100 index.
  • For more details on what we do, our business and how we help our customers, visit www.aviva.com/about-us
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