Results
Results
Waste diversion
Direct Operations Progress Update: Waste Diversion, fiscal 2011 versus 2008 baseline
5.3% Reduction in Retail Stores' Waste Diversion
Our retail stores reduced waste to landfill by 5.3% in fiscal 2011 compared to 2008. The waste diversion metric is intensity-based and is defined as kilograms (to landfill) per square foot.
27.8% Reduction in Distribution Centres' Waste Diversion
Distribution centres achieved a 27.8% reduction (improvement) in waste to landfill in fiscal 2011 compared to 2008. The intensity-defined metric for distribution centres is kilograms (to landfill) per 100 cases shipped.
Since issuing our first sustainability report, we have implemented measures to improve the information gathering process to capture our waste to landfill and waste diversion volumes. One of the challenges we faced was ensuring the accuracy of the information we received from the waste management companies who service our regions. Since then, these service providers have taken steps to improve their record keeping and reporting processes. These improvements enable us to capture more accurate information and help us identify new waste diversion/reduction opportunities. An example of this is the installation of the Tower Composter® at a number of our Sobeys Ontario stores. More information on the Tower Composter® can be found in the Retail stores – Waste management section of the website.
During the past year, many areas of the Company have taken meaningful actions to reduce the volume of waste their facilities send to landfill. Since our 2008 baseline, our national waste to landfill intensities have decreased by 27.8% at distribution centres and 5.3% in our retail operations. Highlights of our achievements to date include:
- Over 40% reduction in the waste to landfill (kgs of waste per 100 cases shipped) from Thrifty Foods and Sobeys Ontario distribution centres
- 1.4 million kgs reduction in the annual volume of waste our distribution centres send to landfill
- 10% or more reduction in the waste to landfill (kgs of waste/square foot) by Thrifty Foods and Sobeys Québec's retail operations
- Over 3 million kgs reduction in the annual volume of waste our stores send to landfill
Plastic Bags: 54% Reduction in Retail Stores
Sobeys' waste reduction plan includes a 50% reduction in plastic bags distributed to customers (defined as an intensity measure of plastic bags per 1,000 customer transactions). We have exceeded our goal of a 50% reduction, having achieved a 54% reduction over our 2005 baseline year. We will continue to focus our attention in this area in order to drive further improvement.
Direct Operations Recycling and Composting
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-1970s.
During fiscal 2011, we diverted 45% of our waste from landfill and sent a significant quantity of material for recycling and composting: 37,085 metric tonnes of cardboard; 11,487 metric tonnes of organics; 1,522 metric tonnes of plastics; 1,433 metric tonnes of meat renderings and 1,539 metric tonnes of other materials including paper, metals, and oils and fats.
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 and make the results visible to store managers. In this region, waste diversion will be one of the store manager's key performance indicators.
One of our biggest challenges is the inconsistent network of recycling facilities, including organic composting, across the country. This creates complexities and barriers to the implementation of consistent, wide-ranging recycling and composting programs across our entire network. While we are working to overcome these barriers, the situation is not one that we expect to resolve easily.
