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V&C Green

Sustainability & Social Responsibility at Valvona & Crolla

As a fourth generation family business, Valvona & Crolla is committed to working in a way which promotes ethical sourcing, environmental operating policies and upholds human rights and equal opportunities. We strive to achieve best practice in the running of the company, and have strong sense of responsibility to our staff, customers, suppliers, as well as our local community and the environment at large.

Social Responsibility

We are proud to be a Real Living Wage Employer and value our team as an integral part of Valvona & Crolla.

Our customers and local community are also part of the rich tapestry of Valvona & Crolla that has served the Edinburgh and UK community since 1934.

Find out more about our Social Responsibility Policy.

Home Delivery

We are proud to have 100% plastic free packaging solutions that are fully kerbside recyclable.

All our orders are dispatched by DPD next day courier service which aims to be the UK’s leader in sustainable delivery transportation.

Fresh food is delivered in RecyCold®Climaliner™ paper insulating pouch & RecyCold™ gel packs made from FSC® certified paper and plant-based gel to keep products cold for 48 hours from dispatch.

Wine is packaged in moulded recycled fibre pulp from EGI® which is 100% compostable, biodegradable and recyclable.

View our Environmental Management System which details our current sustainability commitments.

Animal Welfare

At Valvona & Crolla, we source all our of meat and dairy products from suppliers who have excellent animal welfare standards.

The majority of our products are sourced directly from producers so that we have 100% certainty of traceability and excellent working relationships with like-minded ethical farmers.

We strongly believe in using free-range meat and derivative products, and only buy from suppliers who use ethical farming methods, or products (eg milk) sourced from ethical farming.

Our Animal Welfare policy dictates that when selecting produce we only consider producers who ensure their livestock are protected from hunger and malnutrition, from pain discomfort injury and disease, and are free from pain and distress. The following considerations are also important in our decision making process:

Rearing of young
Feeds used (if not rough grazing), that are sustainably grown and not GMO
Livestock accommodation
Transporting livestock
Traceability

Seasonality

We are strictly seasonal with our fruit and vegetable selection.

The majority of our fruit and vegetables are imported directly from the Milan market. Apart from importing product unique and essential to our business, there is an environmental gain in this also. Our Italian product is grown with sustainable methods. Although there is an additional transportation consideration the overall carbon footprint is less than for most produce grown in the UK under Greenhouse (eg. 0.32kg Co2 per kilo tomato for Spain with no auxiliary heating compared with 1.8 kg CO2 per kg UK Greenhouse production – reference CarbonCloud).

We are also delighted to buy Scottish fruit & veg when in season… Asparagus, soft fruits, and delicious greens! All of our fruit & vegetables are delivered to us unpackaged and sold loose to customers in a recycled brown paper bag.

Reduce Food Waste by Shopping at V&C

Only buy what you need!

Whether you need just 2 slices of Mortadella for the best filled roll, a couple of tomatoes for a recipe, or a little piece of guanciale for your carbonara, reduce your own food waste with V&C.

Think of us an extension of your own kitchen cupboard!

Energy Usage

We have already completed extensive work on our refrigeration with the assistance of Business Energy Scotland.

This has made a material reduction in our electricity consumption with a reduction of 28% from 2021. You can find more information on this project here.

Our Net Zero Target

Our aim is to be at the forefront of best practice for achieving sustainable Carbon Reduction and actively driving to reach our Net Zero targets:

Achieve Net Zero Carbon for Scopes 1 & 2 by our 100th anniversary year in 2034
Achieve Net Zero for Scope 3 by 2040
Commitment to regularly review our Action Plan and add as we see new opportunities

We have created a Carbon Reduction Plan in line with the Green House Gas Protocol, and with the help of the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute.