LIVING OUR VALUES
Values repOrt 2009
wASTE DISPOSAL: UPDATE ON PROgRESS
STORES
With stores all around the world, we have found that recycling facilities vary greatly between our regions. We have spent
considerable time trying to improve the situation in the uk. in the past we disposed of waste in stores via ‘backloading’,
using the fixed fleet returning to the depot in littlehampton. in 2006, we moved to a shared pallet network for distribution
to uk stores. this had the effect of increasing our mileage efficiency and reducing our carbon emissions by approx 230
tonnes per year. We are now in the process of implementing a similar “shared network” approach for waste disposal and
recycling - partnering with a recycling company called greenhouse that specialises in using small companies to collect and
recycle card and plastic from retail outlets.
a successful trial in 20 london stores resulted in 58% of all the waste from the stores being recycled - after just three
months. this proportion will increase as we do more training on what can and cannot be recycled. We expect to achieve
up to 80% recycling. the pilot is about to be rolled out to all high street stores in the uk. stores in shopping malls will
continue to use recycling facilities provided by the landlord.
We are also working with greenhouse to arrange a “round table” of retailers, to see if we can join forces on high
street recycling.
greenhouse is in discussion with the company that operates the shared pallet network, raising the possibility reducing
the number of vehicles on the road, still further.
because this approach to recycling represents best practice for smaller retailers who do not operate their own delivery
fleets, we will be using our experiences in the uk to develop similar solutions across our international company markets,
wherever stores do not have access to local recycling facilities.
In 2007 and 2008, nearly 1 in 5 Values customer queries taken
by our customer care centre in the UK region were about recycling
related issues
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