As a corporate citizen and a major employer in many communities, Ridley recognises its responsibilities to those communities and to the environment that surrounds our plants and sites. Our commitment to environmental best practice in all our operations is clearly articulated in the company’s Environmental Policy. 

Australasia

Our efforts to progressively improve our energy efficiency and resource use have been given added impetus in Australasia, with the commitment we have made to ISO 14000 at all our locations. ISO 14000 is a series of international standards on environmental management. It provides a framework for the development of both the system and the supporting audit program.

Both Ridley AgriProducts and Cheetham Salt have also become signatories to the National Packaging Covenant (NPC).

Although Ridley AgriProducts is a bulk feed manufacturer, packaging only a small percentage of its total annual production, all its plants produce a level of waste that can potentially be minimised and/or recovered. It signed the covenant in January 2003 and has produced an action plan to detail its commitment. As part of the plan Ridley reports on its progress each year.

Initiatives to change product packaging to more environmentally friendly products include the use of edible cartons for products that sit out in the paddocks for cattle and sheep to access as nutritional supplements.

Ridley Agriproducts continues to work closely with suppliers and trade partners to assess new packaging materials to improve packaging efficiency, reduce weight, reduce scrap and maintain product integrity until used. These materials also need to be suitable for recycling programs and/or other disposal programs.

Cheetham Salt is investigating initiatives to reduce the gauge of material used in bags and eliminate non essential strapping; to phase out poly propylene bags and replace them with polyethylene bags and to correctly label all recyclable material. Action is also being taken to improve waste management and increase recycling practices on all sites to reduced the amount of waste deliver to landfills.

In addition to investigating improved packaging, Cheetham Salt is also actively involved in the protection of the delicate eco-system around its salt fields located in natural salt marshes, to the benefit of internationally significant migratory birds.

North America

More than 60,000 copies of Ridley Inc’s magazine Food Safety are distributed to producers, dealers, employees and consumers. Each issue focuses on innovations in food safety and includes articles that offer the perspective of producers and customers.

At Ridley’s feed operations in North America an initiative called CAPS (Clean, Attractive, Professional and Safe) is driving infrastructure investment. Under this program, our feed operations are devoting a significant portion of the capital budget to a five-year plan to improve the cleanliness and attractiveness of all facilities and further improve the safety of working conditions.

For a number of years Ridley has supported research into the use of low-moisture blocks to influence grazing patterns as a way of improving range management. Recent research conducted on US Forest Service allotments in central and western Montana demonstrated that one of our brands, CRYSTALYX low-moisture blocks, are a powerful tool for attracting cattle to graze under-utilised areas. This ensures a uniform and efficient use of pasture and grazing land and is especially valuable to producers who depend on public land grazing allotments.

The improved environmental stewardship that has resulted from using CRYSTRALYX  low-moisture blocks is a win-win solution for everyone. For producers, it enables them to graze more days on public lands or to graze more animals. For government land regulatory agencies it provides a positive alternative other than to simply restrict grazing, allowing them to protect sensitive riparian areas and improve wildlife habitat.
 

Sponsorships

At the human level the Ridley group supports many causes, through activities such as Cheetham Salt's research into iodine deficiency disorders, sponsoring breast cancer research and being associated with Team Ridley, an Australian equestrian team. 

Environmental Policy

Ridley is committed to conducting its business in ways that protect and, where possible, enhance the environment. Our commitment to best environmental practice extends to our relationships with our employees, customers, contractors, regulatory authorities and the community.

As a minimum standard we will comply with all applicable environmental regulations. Where practicable, we will go beyond regulatory compliance and strive to achieve best environmental practice in all that we do. We shall develop and implement standards that enable us to identify, assess and control risks, set achievable targets and ensure we have the necessary skills and technology available to meet or exceed the expectations of the community in which we operate.

To ensure compliance with this policy, we will monitor our environmental performance and act expeditiously on matters requiring action. We shall report our performance to our Board and shareholders and ensure that any incidents are given the highest level of attention.

At least annually, we will review our environmental procedures developed as part of the implementation of this policy in keeping with our commitment to ensuring we operate our business in an environmentally responsible way.'