VOYA Sustainability Commitments
2014
SEAL RESCUE IRELAND
Seals are a protected species under Irish and EU law and should not be touched or encouraged to go back into the water as it is quite normal for them to rest on land. Usually, only 10% of these are sick, injured or abandoned by their mothers, have got caught up in fishing nets, may be starving or ill or may have been bitten by dogs. Seal Rescue Irelands aim is to rehabilitate the seal pups back to full health and then return them to the wild when they are fit and ready. The rescue centre, which relies entirely on volunteers, receives approximately 600 phone calls a year reporting mainly Harbour and Grey seals that might need rescuing from around the entire coast of Ireland. The volunteer team at the sanctuary care for the seals, treating them for illness, feeding them and making sure they have clean water until they are ready to be released back into the sea. The centre costs approximately €100,000 a year to run. VOYA is not only proud to officially sponsor Seal Rescue Ireland, but we have also pledged to adopt one seal for every month of the year.
2021
CARBON BALANCED - WORLD LAND TRUST AND CARBON BALANCED OPERATIONS
In 2013, VOYA made a commitment to carbon-balance 72.60 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption associated with general operations and business travel to support the World Land Trust (WLT), an international conservation charity which protects the world’s most biologically important and threatened habitats acre by acre. We are proud to say that from the 1st January 2013 – 31st December 2021, 607.39043 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions associated with the general operations of VOYA has been offset and in turn over 6,098 m2 of world wildlife habitat has been protected.
2022
WORLD OCEAN DAY
To celebrate ‘World Ocean Day’, VOYA donated profits from all website sales on June 8th to the World Oceans Day Organisation. Your support makes a real difference for those around the world that protect and restore our beautiful ocean. The United Nations World Ocean day is a day of celebration that propels action throughout the year to protect our blue planet. The theme for 2022 was ‘Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean.’ This theme aligns with VOYA’s motto: ‘A better way’, as we believe there has to be a better way! VOYA was inspired by the 300-year-old tradition of seaweed bathing, Ireland’s only indigenous therapy. We have always been heritage-focused and work closely with our coastal communities to inspire change and bring forward collective action.
2023
PLASTIC BANK
VOYA are partnered with Plastic Bank as an Ocean Steward. As part of this, VOYA are proud to have made several commitments that they will achieve over the next two years in collaboration with Plastic Bank. VOYA pledges to stop the equivalent of over 2 million single-use plastic bottles from entering the ocean in collaboration with Plastic Bank. This is equivalent to over 45,000 kg of plastic and means for every VOYA product sold, VOYA will help to prevent 3 plastic bottles from entering the ocean. ABOUT PLASTIC BANK Plastic Bank is a social enterprise working to stop plastic from entering the ocean. Plastic Bank has ethical plastic collection branches within 50 kilometers of coastlines and waterways. The collection community members gather plastic waste directly from local beaches, riverbanks, neighbourhoods, and even households. Plastic Bank currently operates in Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, and the Philippines, working towards franchise-based expansion in Cameroon and Thailand. As well as environmental impact, Plastic Bank supports social change by empowering communities in vulnerable coastal areas with high rates of plastic pollution and poverty. Members of collection communities exchange plastic waste at local collection branches for secure income and life improving benefits that include access to health, work and life insurance, social assistance, digital connectivity, and fintech services. Members are registered through the PlasticBank® app powered by Alchemy™, a blockchain-secured platform that records every transaction, enables traceable collection, secures income, and verifies reporting. Collected plastic is reprocessed through partner processors and is reborn as Social Plastic® feedstock, which is used in the manufacturing of products and packaging, helping to give new life old plastic.
