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Raw Materials

At SPILLERS, 75% of our ingredients are sourced from within the UK with 50% of these raw materials sourced within 35 miles of our plant. We aim to minimise using ingredients that could feed people, making use of the valuable fibre rich materials that are produced in the processing of food such as flour or oat milling. The oatfeed and wheatfeed produced in these processes can’t be used in the human food industry but provide nutritious ingredients for horses. Where we source ingredients from outside the UK, we strive to minimise the impact on the planet, for example the soya meal we use is sustainably sourced and supplied in line with a thorough certification programme.

97% of the ingredients in your favourite SPILLERS feeds are sustainable sourced!

Energy

The energy it takes to make all our SPILLERS feed is provided by a wind farm in Moy, Scotland. With a capacity of 60 MW and an annual output of more than 125,000 megawatt-hours, the wind farm supplies renewable electricity to all Mars’ UK sites. The power generated is equal to 34,000 average U.K. households!​​​​​​ In addition to this all our forklift trucks are powered by electric, removing the reliance on fossil fuels.
windwane image We also use gravity to reduce our energy consumption. The raw materials in the SPILLERS feed mill are put into silos located at the top of the plant. They are then ground, blended or flaked as they gradually move towards the ground, using gravity to power their journey.

Waste

We have a zero waste to landfill policy on our site (there are no ‘waste paper’ bins here!), all our waste is collected and sorted into what is recyclable and what is not. Any material that is not recycled is used to generate energy, so no waste ends up in landfill.

Packaging

Packaging is an important component of all our products, from keeping them safe in transportation, preserving their freshness to helping you choose which product is right for your horse. SPILLERS also understands the impact of packaging on our environment, which is why we plan to use 100 percent recyclable packaging by 2025.

To achieve our goal, we will change more than just the physical packaging, we will encourage horse owners to dispose of their packaging responsibly.

At SPILLERS, our fibre products are packaged in LDPE plastic, 30% of which is currently from recycled sources. Once you have finished your bag of SPILLERS fibre this too can be recycled, reducing our need to use virgin plastic.

LDPE recycling machines chew up the plastic into small pieces and then form them into pellets. These pellets can be turned into a variety of things and are often mixed with a bit of virgin LDPE to improve their strength and reliability. Black bin bags, black agricultural film, or irrigation pipe are all likely to be made from recycled LDPE. Commonly, recycled LDPE will be black because, with recycling plastics, it is easy to turn a clear plastic black, but impossible to turn a black plastic clear. Processing LDPE is among the easiest of the plastics, with the potential for injection moulding, rotational moulding, film blowing and blow moulding. It can be made anti-slip, anti-static, antibacterial and flame retardant.

Like HDPE plastics, many LDPE plastics are accepted through your local curbside recycling program. Just check with your Local Authority to ensure it is recycled in your area. If not, most large supermarkets and even some garden centres (as it’s the same plastic used for compost bags) accept LDPE plastics for recycling. 

Of course, our paper bags (including those with a plastic liner) are recyclable too and can go with mixed household paper recycling curbside collection.

Mars Sustainable in a Generation Plan

The SPILLERS brand is owned by Mars and is aligned to the MARS™ Sustainable in a Generation Plan.

The plan addresses key areas of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and features ambitious goals informed by science. The plan focuses on three key areas — Healthy Planet, Thriving People and Nourishing Wellbeing.

Read more about the Sustainability Plan here: https://gbr.mars.com/sustainability-plan

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Learn about the clinical conditions that can affect your horse’s health.

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