The Co-operative, which has one of the largest and most diverse food retail estates across the UK, is extending its waste back-haul initiative to more than 2,800 food stores.
The scheme, which maximises recycling and anaerobic digestion processes and minimises the use of incineration, will divert more than 34,000 tonnes of food store waste away from landfill every year, which will be recycled, reused, turned into energy or sold on.
It has already been introduced at around 1,500 food stores and is now being rolled out at pace to its entire food store estate, and is on track to be completed this summer.
The back-haul system involves waste being segregated at store level, before collection and delivery by The Co-operative’s Logistics Service to its distribution depots.
Marcus Gover, director of closed loop economy, Wrap, which has worked alongside The Co-operative in an advisory role during the trials for the waste back-hauling project, said: “The Co-operative Food has developed a solution that fits with the complexity of their portfolio, large number of sites and their locations across the UK. It will achieve diversion of waste from landfill through increased recycling and treatment of food waste by AD, all while reducing their waste management costs.
“We are supportive of this project and commend them on introducing this scheme across all their stores.”
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