Origin Green
Origin Green 2026 - Gold Member!
After being one point shy of the required points the previous two years, we this year got the full points and achieved the Origin Green Gold Membership!
The Burren Smokehouse team worked hard to make some significant changes. These are a few of the changes:
We reduced packaging usage by 8.6% per kg of product compared to the 2023 baseline. Over 530 kg of packaging were prevented from being placed on the market through sleeve optimisation.
We also participated in community sustainability initiatives like beach clean-ups, co-organisation of the Burren Slow Food Festival and participation in the Burren Food Fayre.
We also joined the Fáilte Ireland Climate Action Programme to support future sustainability and emissions reduction initiatives.
Another gain was the improved waste performance compared to 2024, despite increased production of smaller retail pack formats.
Two more feathers in our hat were the continued involvement with the Burren Ecotourism Network, achieving 100% Emerald status in the Code of Practice and the EarthCheck Recognised Contributor Badge we received.
What is Origin Green?
Bord Bía, the Irish food marketing board, has initiated a sustainability programme which is the only one in the world. It is called Origin Green, and the Burren Smokehouse has been certified and is a verified member of this scheme since 2017.
The verification process is run by an independent organisation. The programme helps the companies to set and achieve sustainability targets. This will be reducing the environmental impact and help to protect the extraordinarily rich natural resources in Ireland.
More and more producers, farmers and growers are coming on board of the Origin Green programme, covering every topographic feature from seabed to soil. The scheme encourages them to develop more stringent ways of working.
There are three key areas that will be covered in the verification process:
- Raw material sourcing
- Manufacturing process
- Social sustainability
In cooperation with potential members, a comprehensive and challenging five-year plan committing to sustainability improvements have been developed. The sustainability improvements are relevant to the individual businesses. Once the process is successfully completed, these plans are monitored on an annual basis.
In 2021, over 55,000 farmers and 300 of the leading food and drink producers were involved in the Origin Green programme.
