Sysco Belfast, a new £23million state-of-the-art facility, opened in September and the specialist foodservice provider has unveiled a series of sustainability initiatives that will support its ambition to set the standard for a greener supply chain across the island of Ireland.

Built to BREEAM standards, the new site incorporates a range of sustainable features including on-site solar generation, rainwater harvesting, CO₂ refrigeration, installation of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) pumps from which delivery vehicles will be fuelled and bio-diversity enhancements, all of which underpin Sysco’s commitment to creating positive change in the environment and the communities it serves. 

Mark Lee, Chief Executive of Sysco Ireland, said: “At Sysco, sustainability is a core value and a business imperative. From how we power our fleet to how we build our facilities, we’re making strategic, long-term decisions that support a more sustainable future for our customers, colleagues, and communities. The sustainability initiatives in Sysco Belfast are part of our wider commitment to reducing our own operational impact while supporting customers achieve their sustainability goals.”

Building on the company’s ambition to harness renewable energy which saw 2,640 solar panels installed at Sysco’s Dublin facility, the 2,600 high-efficiency solar panels installed at Sysco Belfast are expected to generate 16% of the site's annual electricity demand. While sustainable water management practices, including rainwater harvesting systems, will reduce dependence on mains water and support site operations in an eco-conscious manner. 

A cutting-edge natural refrigeration system with a global warming potential (GWP) of just one — compared to traditional systems with GWPs of over 3,000 — will be used at the Belfast site. The system is both more efficient and environmentally friendly, and it repurposes waste heat to provide underfloor heating and hot water.

As part of its comprehensive decarbonisation strategy, the company, which operates a fleet of 400 vehicles serving more than 10,000 customers across Ireland, is introducing Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel across its operations. This year, over 20% of the Northern Ireland fleet will operate on HVO, with a goal of reaching 55% fleet coverage across Ireland by the end of 2027.

This shift will reduce scope 1 emissions by approximately 6,800 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent once fully implemented. these commitments to decarbonising its business operations support the wider Sysco Science Based Target of reducing scope 1 % 2 emissions by 27.5% by 2030.