One of Animalweb’s valued partners, Dengie Feeds, has announced it has achieved Green Status in the Investors in the Environment accreditation scheme for the third year running, the highest level awarded within the national environmental programme.
The achievement highlights the company’s continued commitment to sustainability and environmental management, setting an example within the equine and agricultural sectors.
Leading by example in sustainability
The Investors in the Environment (iiE) scheme independently audits organisations on the strength of their environmental management systems. The annual assessment evaluates five key areas:
- Environmental policy
- Resource management and monitoring
- Progress against sustainability targets
- Environmental and social action planning
- Communication and engagement
Maintaining Green Status requires demonstrable progress in reducing environmental impact. Dengie reported improvements in several areas, particularly reductions in electricity use, natural gas consumption and carbon emissions.
Alongside these measures, the company has implemented a range of projects designed to enhance the local environment, support staff wellbeing and contribute positively to the surrounding community.
For Animalweb, it is encouraging to see one of our partners leading from the front and demonstrating how environmental responsibility can be embedded into everyday business practice within the equine industry.
A long-standing commitment to sustainable feed production
Founded in 1968 as a farmer cooperative, Dengie continues to operate with a strong focus on supporting the local farming community.
A key part of the company’s sustainability approach is producing as many of its ingredients as possible locally. Its alfalfa crops are grown within 20 miles of the Dengie production site, giving the ingredient one of the lowest “feed mile” footprints among horse feeds while providing excellent traceability.
Every bag of Dengie feed can be traced back to the field where the crop was grown, ensuring transparency throughout the production process.
Reducing waste across the business
Dengie has also introduced a number of initiatives aimed at reducing waste across its operations.
These include:
- Championing the Green Tractor Scheme to encourage waste reduction
- Returning packaging to suppliers for reuse or recycling
- Installing machinery that enables longer production runs to reduce waste
- Regular production line checks and maintenance
- Paper reduction initiatives
- Reusing waste products wherever possible
Unavoidable waste is recycled through a contractor operating a zero-waste-to-landfill policy.
The company is also exploring the possibility of launching a feed bag recycling scheme through local retailers. In a recent survey carried out by Dengie:
- 55% of respondents said they currently dispose of feed bags through household recycling
- 36% said they would be very likely to use an in store recycling scheme
- 72% viewed the idea of a retailer based collection scheme positively
Recognition for the whole team
Commenting on the achievement, Ian Hassard, Managing Director at Dengie, said:
“Sustainability is inherent in everything we do at Dengie, and our recent achievements are a reflection of the importance we place on continually striving to be more efficient. Achieving green status with Investors in the Environment for the third year running is great recognition for all the work the team at Dengie are doing to ensure that we continue to produce the highest quality feeds in harmony with the environment”.
Science, traceability and horse health
Dengie is widely recognised for pioneering the use of high-temperature drying technology in the UK to preserve the nutritional value of fibre crops for horses. This method allows crops to be harvested earlier than traditional sun-dried hay, helping to produce feeds that are cleaner, more digestible and naturally higher in nutrients.
The company also maintains a strong commitment to equine research, working with nutritionists, agronomists and academic institutions worldwide to improve horse health and develop more nutritious crops.
For Animalweb, Dengie’s continued recognition within the Investors in the Environment scheme is a positive example of how equine businesses can combine science, sustainability and practical innovation to benefit both horses and the wider environment.
