Red Gorilla's Sustainability strategy
Our Combined Training title sponsor Red Gorilla, have made huge strides towards being more sustainable. We wanted to share their incredible efforts as a case study to demonstrate how important it is that you know more about the manufacturing process when you are buying equestrian products, so we can make a positive change on the environment.
Values
Red Gorilla® is the leading supplier of yard, farm and stable management equipment for the equestrian and agricultural markets. As the first UK designer and supplier of traditional Tyre Rubber™ buckets and mangers, back in 1981, the company brings decades of industry experience.
Since then, the range has developed across many sectors, but always with the ambition of “Made Right, Made Once”; keeping the carbon footprint of the business amongst the lowest in its class. We do not sell “disposable plastics”, our products should make life easier for the user and greener for the planet.
The success of Red Gorilla® is built on a deep understanding of the needs of its customers. All products are designed to be strong, durable, and reliable, helping to streamline routine tasks.Red Gorilla® is dedicated to prioritisingsustainability by incorporating recyclable and eco-friendly resources into its production processes. Products are produced using updated moulds on hybrid machines, offering the lowest energy consumption possible. Our “recycled where possible” ensures our commitment to recycled materials in our production processes.
Products
This year Red Gorilla® announced that the traditional Tyre Rubber range will be discontinued and replaced with a more environmentally friendly ‘Rubber Type’ range. This new line of Rubber Type tubs and buckets, uses recycled material where possible to create a product that shares a lot of the properties of the traditional Tyre Rubber without all the environmentally damaging aspects.
In 2023, Red Gorilla® also launched Gorilla Plas®, a product range made from recycled polymer, the Gorilla Plas® range is a lot healthier for the environment to produce compared to Tyre Rubber as it is made from recycled materials, with the added benefit that they can also be recycled too after their years of service.
The launch of both Rubber Type and Gorilla Plas will cut down on emissions due to the line being produced in the UK, eliminating unnecessary travel and pollution.
- 65% of all products UK made 25% of products made in Spain.
- Part of SEDEX, a global company specialising in supporting supply chain sustainability.
- 25% of products made from recycled materials.
- Yellow, Green & Black Tubs are made from fully recyclable using closed loop recycling chain.
- Low carbon footprint with all products made in the UK sent to UK markets.
- Packaging recycled where possible and using UK sourced recycled materials.
Our commitments at Red Gorilla
- Environmental Impact: Our products are produced using updated moulds on hybrid machines, offering the lowest energy consumption possible. Our “recycled where possible” ensures our commitment to recycled materials in our production processes. Items that will not be used for human food or toy contact applications have a recycled content used when its available. However, if there is no available recycled material in the market, we will maintain supply using ethically sourced virgin raw materials.
- Waste Management: At the point of manufacturing chilled water is used to cool parts/products before being removed from the press; this water is recycled, chilled and used again in a closed loop with no impact on the environment external to the factory.Our waste production products are recycled onsite and reused. If there is scrap material that cannot be reused onsite, it is collected by responsible recycling companies.
- Social Responsiblity: Red Gorilla® has always been a community based employer, and our colleagues reflect the community we are based within. The wellbeing of our colleagues, their family and the wider communities that we work in is fundamental to our G25 Vision; with a number of Occupational Welfare options for our team in place. Supporting charities and the fundraising efforts of colleagues and the community is also part of our vision. External to our business we work with Sedex to audit us and our suppliers.
- Human Rights: Our business has KDM’s (Key Decision Makers) in every department reflecting the issues all colleagues face at board level. This bottom-up approach maintains an equality based management structure. When we work with external suppliers we insist that recognised external audit companies have certified those businesses in respect of Human Rights and Social Responsibility
- Supply Chain Sustainability: At the point of manufacturing chilled water is used to cool parts/products before being removed from the press; this water is recycled, chilled and used again in a closed loop with no impact on the environment external to the factory.Our waste production products are recycled onsite and reused. If there is scrap material that cannot be reused onsite, it is collected by responsible recycling companies
- Stakeholder Engagement: Red Gorilla® has a well-defined strategy to engage a broad range of stakeholders in the reporting process, ensuring that sustainability efforts align with their expectations and concerns. By fostering open communication and collaboration with customers, suppliers, employees, industry partners, and regulatory bodies, we create a more transparent and accountable approach to sustainability. A key part of this strategy is actively gathering feedback from these stakeholders, this enables us to understand their priorities and address any concerns they may have about our environmental and social impact.
