Memorandum submitted by ASDA (Waste 71)
WASTE REDUCTION
Following the publication by the House of Lords
Science and Technology Committee of a report on "Waste Reduction"
[20 August 2008] I thought you might find it useful to have a
few points on what ASDA is doing to make progress on these issues.
Please find enclosed a briefing document that sets
out our action to reduce waste. If you need any further information,
please do not hesitate to contact me.
James Walsh
Public Policy Manager
ASDA
ASDA ACTION ON WASTE REDUCTION
PACKAGING REDUCTION
— By the end of 2008 we will have reduced
our own-label food packaging by 25%, removing 47,000 tonnes of
excess packaging—the equivalent of more than 6,700 London
buses in weight. We have also committed to reduce all our other
packaging by 20% by the end of 2008. — We already use
18,000 tonnes less packaging each year. This means we have achieved
the 10% reduction required under the Courtauld commitment.
HELPING CUSTOMERS
TO REDUCE
WASTE
— We are reviewing our policy on date
coding to help customers understand what the information really
means and to avoid food being thrown away earlier than necessary.
— We use the ASDA Magazine to inform customers on issues
such as food preparation, cooking with leftovers and shopping
from a list—all useful skills that help to reduce household
food waste.
— Our Company Nutritionist sits on
an industry-wide working group on portion size reduction.
ZERO WASTE
TO LANDFILL
— We now divert 65% of our waste from
landfill—putting us on course to hit our target of zero
waste to landfill by 2010. — Six trial stores have achieved
a 90% reduction to landfill through the diversion of bio / bakery
products. This will be increased to 92% by diverting and recycling
office materials such as paper, drinks cans, plastic bottles,
newspapers and magazines.
— At the heart of this programme are
our regional ASDA Service Centres (ASCs). Waste is transported
to these purpose built facilities using empty delivery vehicles
on their return run ("backhauling"). Once at an ASC,
the waste is bundled together and stored, ready to be sent for
recycling. We have five ASCs, with three under construction. In
2007 they helped us to recycle more than 150,000 tonnes of cardboard
and nearly 9,000 tonnes of plastic wrapping.
— Our goal is to eliminate the remaining
35% of our waste which is not currently reprocessed.
— While more than 90% of the packaging
we produce is already recyclable, very few local authorities are
able to collect it all, which means thousands of tonnes of ASDA
packaging ends up in landfill, when it could have been put to
better use. We're calling for a consistent nationwide approach
to recycling.
— We chair a Cross Industry Packaging
Waste Group, working with waste collection companies, WRAP, local
authorities and other retailers in the hope that collectively
we can drive a strategy that makes recycling easier for everyone,
regardless of where they live.
— Wherever possible, we use Forestry
Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper and board packaging,
helping us to promote responsible management of the world's trees.
CARRIER BAGS
— We have reduced the number of single-use
carrier bags handed out to ASDA customers by 30%. We led the way
with a nationwide removal of single use carriers from all of our
checkouts, encouraging customers to chose one of our "bags
for life" as a sustainable and affordable alternative.
— In addition to reducing their use,
our aim is to limit the environmental impact of the bags themselves
by decreasing their size and increasing their recycled content.
We source the plastic material from our in-store recycling collections.
ASDA
August 2008
|
