Targets
Targets
Waste reduction
For several years, Sobeys has focused on initiatives that can reduce our environmental impact as well as our operating costs. These include investing time and capital on opportunities such as electricity conservation and fuel efficiency. We’ve discussed these initiatives in detail in the Distribution and Logistics, and Retail Stores sections of this report.
Sustainable resource use includes waste reduction, alternative sourcing of materials and diverting waste from landfill. Our retail stores, distribution centres and offices have waste diversion and reduction programs in place, some dating back to the mid-1970’s.
During 2008, we diverted 51,644 metric tonnes of cardboard, paper, plastics, organics, oils and fats, meat renderings, metal, and spent batteries from landfills. These materials were sent for recycling, composting, or to biodiesel producing facilities. Cardboard accounted for over 73% and organics more than 25% of the diverted material.
In Ontario, 64 corporate Sobeys and Price Chopper stores diverted almost 2,700 metric tonnes of organics, such as waste from produce and bakery departments and meat renderings, to organic waste diversion programs. This represents almost 13% of total waste generated by these stores. Sobeys Ontario also diverted 102,737 litres of waste cooking oil collected from 112 stores from landfill by arranging for the oil to be made into biodiesel.
Sobeys’ commitment to waste reduction and recycling remains firm, despite the impact of the recession on the revenue we receive for materials we recycle. In fact, we are actively expanding the scope of recycling across the company, creating greater employee awareness of the importance of waste diversion, investigating technology that can have a measurable impact on the volume of organic materials generated by our stores, and working with other stakeholders to expand recycling opportunities across all areas of our operations.
An example of this commitment is a process introduced in Sobeys West to measure waste diversion rates at the individual stores. In this region, waste diversion will be one of the store managers’ key performance indicators.
One of our biggest challenges is the inconsistent network of recycling facilities across the country. This creates complexities and barriers to the implementation of consistent, wide-ranging recycling programs across our entire network. While we are working to overcome these barriers, the situation is not one that we expect to resolve easily.
