Gold Member Case Study – Clonakilty Food Co
Clonakilty Food Co., a family-run business since the 1880s, has grown its product range and nationwide presence, offering puddings, sausages, rashers, and a veggie range across retail and foodservice.
Product Health and Nutrition
In 2024, Clonakilty Food Co. ensured 73% packaging recyclability, launched low-waste catering formats, and eliminated secondary packaging for select products, surpassing its revised packaging intensity baseline.
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Targets Reported
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Exemplary Targets
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Awarded Gold Membership
In 2024, Clonakilty Food Co. advanced its packaging sustainability goals with notable progress. Having already achieved optimal reductions in packaging materials without compromising product quality or integrity, the company shifted its focus toward enhancing recyclability. As of 2024, Clonakilty Food Co. ensures that at least 73% of its total packaging, across primary, secondary, and tertiary layers, is recyclable, maintaining the benchmark set in 2022 for card and paper-based materials. This commitment underscores the company’s ongoing dedication to improving packaging efficiency while safeguarding product quality and shelf life.
A key contributor to this progress was the launch of Clonakilty’s frozen black pudding bites in 5kg catering boxes. Designed for larger catering and marketing events, this format significantly reduces packaging volume by replacing multiple smaller 500g bags with a single box and plastic liner. Up to 10kg of product can now be packed using just two liners and boxes, streamlining logistics and minimising material use.
Further gains were made through collaboration with retail partners. One of Clonakilty Food Co’s customers began accepting “naked” black pudding logs, products delivered without secondary packaging. This shift eliminated unnecessary materials and demonstrated how customer partnerships can support shared sustainability goals.
In addition to these achievements, Clonakilty Food Co. revised its packaging intensity baseline to 91.82 kg/t of product, correcting a previously underreported figure. The company has committed to maintaining this level through 2027.
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