Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour. The Sonoco UK Group takes a zero-tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery. We recognise that Modern Slavery is a growing global issue. The Sonoco UK Group is committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within our businesses and/or supply chains.

Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour. The Sonoco UK Group takes a zero-tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery. We recognise that Modern Slavery is a growing global issue. The Sonoco UK Group is committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within our businesses and/or supply chains.

Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour. The Sonoco UK Group takes a zero-tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery. We recognise that Modern Slavery is a growing global issue. The Sonoco UK Group is committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within our businesses and/or supply chains.

Organisation Structure

Sonoco Holdings UK Limited is a subsidiary of Sonoco Products Company (collectively, with Sonoco UK Group and other subsidiaries of Sonoco Products Company, the “Sonoco Group” or “Sonoco”), an integrated packaging solutions organisation, creating unique customer experiences and enhancing the quality of products around the world. 

The Sonoco Group employs approximately 22,000 employees across more than 300 operations in 33 countries. 

Sonoco Holdings UK Limited (and its subsidiary companies) employ approximately 700 people in the UK.

Sonoco Holdings UK Limited is a private limited company registered in England and Wales (Company 03739940) and is the parent company of all the Sonoco Group’s subsidiaries in the UK, namely:

Sonoco Limited                                    00081296                                  

Sonoco Cores and Paper Limited        05133800     

Laminar Medica Limited                       01233986                    

Sonoco TEQ Limited                            01407996                        

Sonoco Holdings UK Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sonoco Products Company, which is incorporated in the United States of America.

Sonoco Limited is the primary trading entity for the Sonoco Group and operates in the UK and Ireland. 

This statement is intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 54, Part 6 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (“the Act”) for Sonoco Limited and Sonoco Cores and Paper Limited.

The Sonoco UK Group has a global annual turnover of £126.2m. Sonoco Limited has an annual turnover of £67.8m and Sonoco Cores and Paper Limited has an annual turnover of £47.8m. Laminar Medica Limited and Sonoco TEQ Limited have a turnover of less than £36m and accordingly are publishing this statement on a voluntary basis.

Policies

The Sonoco UK Group is committed to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking in its supply chains. We recognise that our suppliers are fundamental to our success and maintaining the positive reputation of all Sonoco UK brands. Pursuant to this, we require our suppliers to adhere to our business practices and ethical standards.

The Sonoco UK Group has approximately 1,200 direct suppliers worldwide, with 120 suppliers making up the top 80% of spend. In addition to managing these suppliers, our category management teams maintain relationships with strategic second tier suppliers in paper categories that feed both our laminates and labels spend. The key material categories are:

• Paper
• Laminates (made of a combination of paper, adhesives, aluminium, and resins)
• Labels (Printed mainly on the above)
• Materials (tinplate for container ends)
• Resins (for the self-manufacture of plastic components)
• Plastic components from third parties

Policy on Business Conduct

The Sonoco Group’s Policies on Business Conduct (the “Policies”) are the foundation of our companies’ policies and set out guiding principles on professional conduct. The Policies apply to all Sonoco employees (including those engaged by the Sonoco UK Group) and set out guiding principles on professional conduct establishing that Sonoco employees should always act lawfully, ethically, and in the best interests of Sonoco in performing their job duties. Sonoco is committed to the core values of honesty, integrity, and accountability. This commitment requires that employees and directors of Sonoco comply fully with all laws, rules and regulations that apply to Sonoco’s business operations, and that they act honestly and ethically. Our Policies are available on our website.

Supplier Standards

Sonoco’s Supplier Standards detail the requirements and expectations Sonoco has of their suppliers, their supply chains, and any of their contractors with whom they engage. Sonoco expects our suppliers to comply with all applicable legal requirements in the jurisdictions in which they operate and to consistently monitor and enforce Sonoco’s Supplier Standards in their own operations and supply chains. Sonoco’s Supplier Standards also set forth our principles of environmental awareness, non-discrimination, diversity, human rights, inclusivity, and accountability. Sonoco requires all suppliers to commit to our Supplier Standards as a condition of doing business with us.

Sonoco’s Supplier Standards confirm respect for human rights as a basic tenet of Sonoco’s beliefs, and its commitment to principles including (i) the elimination of forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking, (ii) the establishment and maintenance of fair and safe work environments, and (iii) the requirement that all suppliers operate such that employee working hours are in compliance with local standards as well as local and national laws and regulations of the applicable jurisdiction. Under the Supplier Standards, Sonoco will not work with any suppliers who require employees to work in excess of statutory limitations without proper compensation as required by applicable law. Further, Sonoco condemns all forms of exploitation of children and forbids the use of children in the workforce. Suppliers are forbidden from recruiting child labour, and all supplier employees are required to be above the legal employment age in the country of their employment.

We review our Supplier Standards on a periodic basis to ensure that this policy is in line with current best practices. Our Supplier Standards are available publicly on our website here.

Human Rights Policy

Sonoco’s Human Rights Policy outlines Sonoco’s commitment to respect human rights standards; specifically, those outlined in the International Bill of Human Rights and the principles concerning fundamental rights set out in the International Labour Organizations Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Sonoco’s Human Rights Policy applies to all operations of the Sonoco Group, including all divisions, subsidiaries, and affiliated companies as well as all employees, directors, officers, agents, contractors, business partners, vendors, and suppliers of Sonoco.  Our Human Rights Policy is available publicly from our website here.

Sonoco’s Internal Audit Department conducts periodic risk assessments and monitors Sonoco’s compliance with the Human Rights Policy.

Due Diligence

Assessment of Modern Slavery risk within our supply chain

The Sonoco Group completed a Human Rights risk assessment in 2023 to ensure that our efforts towards combatting modern slavery are targeted towards the highest risk areas. We analysed our operations and supply chains and utilized publicly available research and information to identify particular industries and countries which pose the biggest risk of human trafficking and modern slavery. We intend to review our risk assessment (and update it if necessary) at least once every two years.

Due diligence processes and contractual controls

We have in place systems and procedures designed to:

• Perform due diligence on our existing and potential suppliers.
• Identify and assess potential risk areas in our supply chains.
• Mitigate the risk of slavery and human trafficking occurring in our supply chains.
• Monitor potential risk areas in our supply chains; and
• Protect whistleblowers.

By way of examples:

Supplier Onboarding: Every supplier must review and adhere to our Sonoco Supplier Standards before they can become a supplier of Sonoco.

Memberships and affiliations: A number of Sonoco UK Group sites operate in accordance with the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code. We additionally hold membership with SEDEX (the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) and are periodically, independently audited to ensure our systems and standards are legally compliant, fit for our business and are sufficiently maintained. Most recently, the Sonoco UK Group underwent a SEDEX Members Ethical Trade Audits (“SMETA”) at its manufacturing location in Bradford.

Training and review: The Human Rights Policy is implemented through Sonoco’s business ethics and compliance program, on which all salaried employees are trained. Sonoco’s Global Human Rights statement was implemented and is regularly reviewed by the Employee and Public Responsibility Committee of the Board of Directors, while managed by the Legal & Compliance Department under the Office of General Counsel.

Confidential reporting processes: We encourage our workforce to report any related concerns in confidence and provide our employees with access to an independent whistleblowing call line, manned by an external provider, in addition to disclosures made to Sonoco’s Legal and Compliance Office who are a designated internal department within Sonoco for receiving, investigating, and providing follow-up for any disclosures. We are committed to dealing with any suspected breaches of the Act seriously and with urgency. We are committed to reviewing this statement annually and shall continuously work to improve our systems and policies.

Contractual controls and audit: Our supplier contracts allow us to perform random unannounced visits to our suppliers’ factories.

Right to work checks: As part of internal due diligence practices, we have measures in place to ensure there is no slavery within our own workforce. Before onboarding a new employee, we require evidence of right to work in the UK.

Training

All of Sonoco’s salaried staff receive training in relation to the Human Rights Policy Statement, included in our business conduct training.

Identified Risks

We recognise that we may be indirectly linked to a risk of modern slavery because of our business activities in the manufacturing and packaging industry, and that certain sectors in our supply chain (including the provision of materials, contractors, and labour) may pose a higher risk of modern slavery. Sonoco has established various policies and procedures designed to identify, assess, and manage supplier risk. To assess the risk of forced labour and child labour in our business and supply chains, we conduct risk assessments and review data provided by customers and suppliers. To identify the business activities with the greatest exposure to these risks, we consider the following factors:

• Reliance on low skilled workforce;
• Presence of migrant workers;
• Long, complex, or non-transparent supply chains; and
• Jurisdictional risks including poverty, conflict, and enforcement of international human rights standards.

Sonoco seeks to manage modern slavery risks through a variety of policies, processes, and practices, which are outlined in this modern slavery statement.

Further steps

Following a review of the effectiveness of the steps we have taken this year to ensure that there is no slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains we intend to repeat this process and continue to train our employees to combat slavery and human trafficking. 

This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes the
Sonoco UK Group’s slavery and human trafficking statement for 2025. It was approved by the Board of
Sonoco Cores and Paper Limited on the 6th of August 2025 and by the Board of Sonoco Limited on 6th of
August 2025.

This statement will be reviewed, and updated, as necessary on an annual basis.

Download Sonoco’s Modern Slavery statement.