Environmental sustainability
As a food services business, we recognise our responsibility to evaluate our practices and create sustainable products while minimising waste and resource consumption.
Our Environmental and Climate Change Policy outlines our commitment to continually reducing our environmental footprint by incorporating sustainable practices. We have initiatives to limit air pollution, utilise more environmentally friendly packaging, invest in renewable energy sources, and reduce water and energy consumption. We track our environmental sustainability performance against the following areas:
Carbon footprint
Energy consumption
Water usage efficiency
Waste management
Sustainable sourcing
Environmentally friendly packaging
Since the policy was operationalised in 2022, we have made notable progress against our environmental objectives. Our biggest environmental opportunities lie in lowering energy consumption through energy efficiency initiatives and renewable energy, and reducing our water usage through water recycling and recovery initiatives. We have a Group-wide utilities savings awareness programme to encourage employees to adopt environmentally responsible practices.
Our environmental focus areas
Brands
- Maintaining the use of environmentally friendly packaging.
- Offering fully biodegradable and compostable take away coffee cups.
- All brand packaging ranges are 100% recyclable.
- Reduction in food waste through portion control and made-to-order practices in our restaurants.
- Responsible reuse or redistribution of food through the donation of excess food products.
Manufacturing
- Investigating alternative cleaner fuel and energy options (with lower GHG emission factors), including planned renewable energy projects.
- Enhancing plant efficiencies to produce more units per hour of plant time.
- Efficient refrigeration processes to reduce electricity usage.
- Efficient water usage and effluent management pursued against a target for continuous improvement.
- Cultivating potatoes closer to the Lamberts Bay Foods processing plant, reducing travel emissions.
- New plant design focused on responsible consumption.
- Responsible sourcing of sustainable food products for processing.
Logistics
- Investigating alternative cleaner fuel and energy options (with lower GHG emission factors), including planned renewable energy projects.
- Optimising transport efficiencies in our Logistics fleet.
- Better route planning and reduction in the number of trips.
- Close monitoring and evaluation of new generators, as well as monitoring electricity usage of existing generators.
- Responsible redistribution of near-expiry date stock to identified non-profit organisations.
- Use of high-quality refrigerants to reduce electricity consumption.
Retail
- Controls in place to donate unsold products to non-profit organisations before they expire.
" At Famous Brands, we recognise the importance of addressing climate change. We are evolving our operations, practices and partnerships to reduce our carbon footprint. "
We aim to reduce our carbon footprint through energy efficiency initiatives, improving our Supply Chain practices to reduce emissions during production and distribution, and increasing our reliance on renewable energy. We acknowledge our responsibility in supporting South Africa in achieving its net zero by 2025 ambitions.
We aim to achieve the following:
Emissions reduction |
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Sustainable practices |
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Improved operational efficiency |
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SDG target | KPIs | Performance in 2025 | KPIs for 2026 |
---|---|---|---|
![]() 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. |
Total GHG emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3) per year in metric tons of CO2 equivalent: 43 406 tCO2e |
Not Achieved
We reduced our GHG emissions by 5% and produced 50 509 tCO2e. (53 348 tCO2e in 2024).
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40 693 tCO2e< |
Total GHG emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3) per year in metric tons of CO2 equivalent, per case manufactured and shipped (tCO2e/case): 0.00197 |
Not Achieved
We reduced our GHG emissions per case by 6%. Our GHG emissions per case were 0.00215 tCO2e/case. (0.00231 tCO2e/case in 2024).
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0.00185 tCO₂e |
Our carbon footprint report
Our footprint assessment method is aligned with the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, the global standard for companies to measure and manage GHG emissions. This method allows us to prepare for potential carbon tax requirements while building more efficient and resilient operations.
Our operations fall below the threshold for paying carbon tax. We conducted a detailed annual assessment of the Group’s carbon footprint for its Manufacturing and Logistics divisions. This assessment focused on:
Scope 1: Identifying and quantifying direct GHG emissions that will require reporting to the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries and be liable for carbon tax. Direct emissions include mobile fuel combustion (own fleet) and stationary fuel combustion (on-site equipment).
Scope 2 and 3: Understanding the primary sources of indirect GHG emissions that contribute to the Group’s overall carbon footprint. Indirect emissions include purchased electricity, water supply and waste disposal.
Performance and focus areas for 2025
In 2025, we prioritised the following:
- Investigating alternative cleaner fuel and energy options, including those with lower GHG emission factors.
- Executing planned renewable energy projects.
- Transitioning to modern, more efficient refrigeration processes and refrigerants to reduce electricity usage.
- Implement plant design practices focused on responsible consumption.
- Optimising transport efficiencies in our Logistics fleet through better route planning and a reduction in the number of trips.
The Group's total GHG emissions for 2025, by scope and division, are detailed below.
Scope | Manufacturing (tCO2e) | Logistics (tCO2e) | Total (tCO2e) | % of Total |
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Scope 1
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9,825.58 | 5,076.75 | 14,902.33 | 30% |
Scope 2
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24,821.88 | 6,565.95 | 31,387.83 | 62% |
Scope 3
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1,104.99 | 3,113.93 | 4,218.92 | 8% |
Total All Scopes | 35,752.45 | 14,756.63 | 50,509.08 | 100% |
Total emissions across Scope 1, Scope 2 and measured Scope 3 in our Supply Chain decreased by 5% year-on-year. Stationary fuel combustion emissions decreased due to eased load shedding and migration to a lower countryspecific emission factor for Lamberts Bay Foods’ coal use. Reduced load shedding, in turn, increased the use of grid electricity and reduced purchased electricity emissions. Increase in waste emissions is driven by significant changes in emission factors.
- Mobile fuel usage decreased by 5%, while stationary fuel decreased by 31%. The decrease in stationary fuel is attributed to the reduced diesel required in our generators due to lower levels of load shedding.
- Purchased electricity usage increased by 3%, also due to less load shedding.
- Water supply emissions decreased by 19%.
The waste generated in our operations was 791.16 tonnes, a mix of industrial and commercial waste, to landfill. Emissions related to waste increased by 112% calculated at metric tonnes of CO2e. We recycled 852.85 tonnes of waste material, including paper, plastics, metal and glass. We composted 933.99 tonnes of organic waste material.
Carbon footprint by type for Supply Chain (2020 to 2025) (tCO₂e)
Emissions source CO₂e (%)
Looking forward to 2026
In 2026, we will prioritise the following:
- Completing two planned solar installations.
- Ensuring responsible electricity usage at our largest plants.
- Explore the potential role of a virtual wheeling partnership for green electricity.
" Famous Brands is enhancing energy efficiency by adopting innovative technologies and optimising operational procedures. "
Our approach focuses on integrating sustainable practices into our facilities and processes to reduce energy consumption and minimise our environmental impact.
We are focused on achieving the following:
Reduced energy consumption |
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Cost savings |
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Improved operational efficiency |
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Environmental impact reduction |
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Performance and focus areas for 2025
Overall comment on energy consumption performance for 2025. If you did not meet your targets, please provide an explanation.
This year, we focused on the following:
- A water recycling project implemented at Lambert’s Bay Foods, saving a 100 000 litres of water per day.
- Ongoing, continuous improvements by plant resulting in a reduction in water used per case produced.
SDG target | Performance in 2025 | KPIs for 2026 |
---|---|---|
Total electricity MWh generated from renewable sources: 1 950 MWh |
Achieved
We generated 1 971 MWh from our six solar installations.
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2 400 MWh |
Energy consumption | 2025 | 2024 |
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SA operations: Manufacturing and Logistics divisions | ||
Energy | ||
Electricity (MWh) | 31 361 | 28 286 |
Electricity – solar (MWh) | 1 971 | 981 |
Diesel (kl) | 2 162 | 3 095 |
Petrol (kl) | 729 | 716 |
Paraffin (kl) | 114 | 85 |
Liquefied petroleum gas (tonne) | 36 | 39 |
Natural gas (GJ) | 31 860 | 31 313 |
Coal (tonne) | 3 204 | 3 564 |
Steam (coal tonne) | 983 | 1 059 |
SA operations: Brands | ||
All Company-owned restaurants electricity (MWh) | 1 691 | 1 591 |
Botswana | ||
All Company-owned restaurants (MWh) | 4 039 | 3 632 |
Headquarters | 84 | 391 |
Kenya | ||
All Company-owned restaurants (MWh) | 150 | 253 |
Mauritius | ||
All Company-owned restaurants (MWh) | 451 | 188 |
* Supplied from a third-party coal user.
Energy Consumption
Comparison: 2025 vs 2024
SA operations: Manufacturing and Logistics divisions
Energy
SA operations: Brands
Botswana
Kenya
Mauritius
* Supplied from a third-party coal user.
Looking forward to 2026
In 2026, we will prioritise completing two solar installations (Famous Brands Coffee Company and Midrand cold storage facility).
" Famous Brands is committed to optimising water usage across its operations to ensure sustainable and efficient water management. "
Our approach to water usage efficiency involves adopting advanced technologies, implementing best practices, and fostering a culture of conservation to minimise water consumption. Our water recycling plants also provide cost savings and water security in a country that contends with water scarcity.
We aim to achieve the following:
Reduced water consumption |
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Sustainable practices |
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Enhanced water recycling and reuse |
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Improved operational efficiency |
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Environmental impact reduction |
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Performance and focus areas for 2025
We achieved a significant reduction in our water consumption during 2025, both in kilolitres of water consumed and kilolitres of water per case produced and distributed. The bulk of the savings was attributed to the implementation of the water recycling project at the Lamberts Bay Foods' processing plant.
This year, we focused on the following:
- We instilled a culture of water conservation through regular communications.
- We considered proposals to install a water recycling plant at the Famous Brands Cheese Company. Due to excessive capital requirements, we are considering options for a smaller plant.
- Vigorous monitoring of water consumption and the early detection and fixing of water leaks.
SDG target | KPIs | Performance in 2025 | KPIs for 2026 |
---|---|---|---|
![]() 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. |
Total litres of water withdrawn from the ground and used from the municipality: 294 696 kilolitres |
Not Achieved
We used 337 527 kilolitres from boreholes and municipal water sources. (393 566 kl in 2024).
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276 278 kilolitres |
Total volume of water per case: 16.31 litres per case |
Achieved
We used an average of 14.66 litres per case. (17.17 l/Case in 2024).
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15.50 litres per case | |
Total litres of water recycled and reused: 24 000 kilolitres |
Achieved
We recycled and reused 26 319 kilolitres of water.
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43 000 kilolitres 75 Famous Brands |
Water usage performance (Kilolitres) | 2025 | 2024 |
---|---|---|
SA operations: Manufacturing and Logistics divisions | 337 527 | 393 612 |
SA operations: Brands | ||
Signature Brands: All Company-owned restaurants | 1 591 | |
Leading Brands: All Company-owned restaurants | 13 546 | 12 992 |
Botswana | ||
All Company-owned restaurants | 25 434 | 22 654 |
Headquarters | 11 433 | 9 873 |
Kenya | ||
All Company-owned restaurants | 1 259 | 1 380 |
Mauritius | ||
All Company-owned restaurants | 4 186 | 1 713 |
Total water usage | 393 385 | 443 815 |
Performance and focus areas for 2025
Overall comment on energy consumption performance for 2025. If you did not meet your targets, please provide an explanation.
This year, we focused on the following:
- A water recycling project implemented at Lambert's Bay Foods, saving a 100 000 litres of water per day.
- Ongoing, continuous improvements by plant resulting in a reduction in water used per case produced.
" Famous Brands is committed to responsible effective waste management and reduction. "
Our approach focuses on minimising waste generation, maximising recycling and reuse and ensuring responsible disposal practices.
We are focused on achieving the following:
Waste reduction |
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Sustainable practices |
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Enhanced recycling and reuse |
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Responsible disposal |
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Monitoring and reporting |
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Sustainability integration |
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Performance and focus areas for 2025
We donated R7.6 million in food products to SA Harvest to distribute to feeding schemes across South Africa. We have partnered with Don’t Waste Services in all our manufacturing plants to manage our waste streams. Our waste is sorted at our manufacturing sites and taken for recycling or conversion to compost. No waste is taken to landfill.
This year, we focused on the following:
- Maintaining full diversion of all food waste away from landfill (achieved)./li>
- Reducing operational waste by 20% off 2023 baseline (not achieved).
SDG target | KPIs | Performance in 2025 | KPIs for 2026 |
---|---|---|---|
![]() 12.2 BBy 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses. |
Reduce food avoidance waste from operations (excluding Lamberts Bay Foods and Famous Brands Cheese Company): Reduce food waste by 176.8 metric tonnes |
Not Achieved
Target not achieved based on defective raw material from a supplier that needed to be safely disposed.
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165.8 metric tonnes reduction in food waste |
![]() 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. |
Total volume of food waste not recycled/sent to landfill: 122.24 metric tonnes |
Achieved
We sent no food waste to the landfill, and all food waste was either converted to compost or used as animal feed.
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Maintain zero food waste to landfill. |
South Africa Food Loss and Waste Agreement
Famous Brands has been a core signatory to the South Africa Food Loss and Waste Agreement since 2021. This agreement was developed by the CGCSA, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. As a signatory, our commitments include:
- Contribute to achieving SDG target 12.3: “By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.”
- Adopt the food utilisation hierarchy, which prioritises increased food utilisation and waste reduction by redistributing edible, nutritious surplus food for human consumption and creating secondary markets for surplus food, while considering food safety.
- Confidentially report our annual quantities of food waste and quantities diverted to food surplus redistribution, in accordance with the agreed-upon reporting protocol.
Partnership with SA Harvest
We have a strong partnership with the charitable organisation SA Harvest, which was established with the goal of ending hunger in South Africa. This relationship began during the COVID-19 pandemic when Famous Brands management worked closely with the organisation to distribute stock that our hibernated operations could not use. We continue to work with them and other non-profit organisations to distribute food close to its expiry date. This not only helps reduce food waste but also has a positive impact on vulnerable communities.
Looking forward to 2026
In 2026, we will prioritise the following:
- Significant reduction in operational food waste to meet planned targets through focused interventions in plants that contribute significant volumes of operational food waste.
- Interventions in production processes to support the reduction of waste as per the target.
- Diversion of near and end of shelf life products to food donation.
" We ensure that the products and materials we procure are obtained in a manner that supports environmental stewardship, ethical practices and economic sustainability. "
We aim to minimise our environmental impact and promote responsible practices across our operations by integrating sustainable sourcing principles into our supply chain. We work with local suppliers to support economic development, create jobs and reduce our environmental footprint.
We aim to achieve the following:
Ethical sourcing practices |
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Environmental stewardship |
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Transparency and traceability |
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Local and community support |
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Continuous improvement |
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Partnerships and collaboration |
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Impact measurement |
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Performance and focus areas for 2025
We allocated significant time and financial resources to support and develop SMMEs and Black-owned businesses.
SDG target | KPIs | Performance in 2025 | KPIs for 2026 |
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![]() 12.2 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities |
Spend with SMMEs, revenue between R0 to R50m (percentage of total spend): 15% |
Achieved
We spent 17.79% of our total procurement spend with SMMEs. This is for an amount of R872 million.
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18% |
Spend with >51% Black-owned companies (percentage of total spend): 40% |
Achieved
We spent 44.54% of our total procurement spend with >51% Black-owned companies. This is for an amount of R2.6 billion.
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40% | |
Spend with >30% Black women-owned companies (% of total spend): 12% |
Achieved
We spent 31.23% of our total procurement spend with >30% Black women-owned companies. This is for an amount of R2.1 billion.
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12% |
Our FOOD Philosophy
We create food that is good for our consumers, employees, franchise partners, local communities and the environment. We believe in FOOD with thought and menu choices that consider wellness, sustainability and community aspects.
We recognise the need to regularly assess our food philosophy practices to ensure they align with best practices. This means we will:
- Frequently review and update our goals and timeframes.
- Assess and respond to emerging health and wellness trends, sustainability and our communities.
- Consider our stakeholders’ evolving interests and expectations.
- Be accountable for our actions.
FOOD with Thought
Our Four Pillars of Sustainability
Focus on the future of communities and the environment
Observing and implementing eco-efficient practices
Open, responsible sourcing
Developing and managing sustainability policies
Focus on the future of communities and the environment
Observing and implementing eco-efficient practices
Open, responsible sourcing
Developing and managing sustainability policies
Supporting better food choices
When creating our menus, we consider the Department of Health’s objectives of reducing obesity and promoting healthy living. Our brands’ menus accommodate dietary needs, food allergies, intolerances, and lifestyle preferences.
Our Leading Brands’ menus offer “Better for You” options, including vegetarian and vegan options. Our sugar-free sodas are priced lower than regular sodas. Steers allows consumers to swap sweetened beverages for bottled water.
All Leading Brands have full kilojoule counts on their menus, while full nutritional guidelines, including allergen information, are available on their websites. Consumers have indicated that having kilojoule counts available is helpful and guides their decision-making.
Fishaways promotes a variety of “Healthier for you” meals under 500 calories. Our bun and sauce recipes exclude eggs, making them allergen- and vegan-friendly. Our TruFruit juice range was reformulated to reduce sugar below the sugar tax threshold.
In 2023, draft amendments were made to Regulation 146 relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs. The proposed regulations aim to increase transparency in the labelling of foodstuffs. The outcome of this will impact Famous Brands’ retail products.
Responsible sourcing
Famous Brands only procures from reputable suppliers that have undergone our stringent vetting process. Most suppliers have service level agreements that outline expected quality and service standards. We schedule site visits to ensure that suppliers continue to meet our standards.
Local sourcing
We have placed significant emphasis on purchasing from local suppliers. Approximately 88.63% of food products purchased are from local suppliers.
Seafood
All our seafood is sustainably sourced. We procure seafood from well-managed populations, where these species can handle current fishing pressure or are farmed in a manner that does not harm the environment.
Cage-free eggs
All our brands and our Supply Chain only use cage-free eggs in their recipes.
Looking forward to 2026
In 2026, we will prioritise the following:
- Develop our pipeline of enterprise and supplier development projects.
- Maintain 100% food waste to “Don’t Waste” ensuring zero waste to landfill.
" We monitor plastic use across our operations and continue to introduce eco-friendly solutions. This includes adapting brand packaging materials to align with best practices and continuously reducing our reliance on plastic. "
In 2019, Famous Brands introduced a packaging initiative to provide better, more environmentally friendly packaging across the brands. Over the last few years, these improvements have seen Famous Brands reduce plastic consumption by 443.1 tonnes per year.
We aim to achieve the following:
More sustainable materials |
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Impact measurement |
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Comply with legislation |
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Performance and focus areas for 2025
This year, we achieved our commitment of ensuring that all our brand packaging material is 100% recyclable, biodegradable and compostable by 2025. We introduced new measures to make our packaging more environmentally friendly. The following improvements will reduce our total plastic consumption by 137.7 tonnes annually:
- Replacing current polystyrene hot lids with a moulded fibre bagasse sip lid for all brands.
- Mugg & Bean trialled a bagasse1 domed lid to replace the current polystyrene domed lid and a paper cold cup in place of a plastic cup. This option will be rolled out in 2026.
- Steers replaced the current plastic grill box with an eco-friendly solution.
- Debonairs Pizza trialled an eco-friendly solution to the current plastic flop stopper. The trial was successful, and the plastic flop stopper will be discontinued. In its place, a polylactic acid-lined board flop stopper will be implemented. The replacement flop stopper is recyclable, biodegradable and compostable.
SDG target | KPIs | Performance in 2025 | KPIs for 2026 |
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![]() 12.2 Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle. |
Total plastic usage reduction percentage: 93.5% |
Achieved
We achieved a total reduction in plastic use of 93.7%.
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94.0% |
Extended Producer Responsibility
The Section 18 Extended Producer Responsibility regulations were introduced by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in May 2021 as part of the Waste Act. These regulations aim to ensure producers take greater responsibility for the lifecycle of their products. This includes managing waste correctly through recycling and circular economy activities.
Famous Brands has registered with several producer responsibility organisations that manage the Extended Producer Responsibility schemes for various packaging schemes. We are 100% compliant with the Extended Producer Responsibility regulations as legislated by the department.
Looking forward to 2026
In 2026, we will prioritise the following:
- Introducing more biodegradable packaging options.
- Trial bagasse solutions.