Towards minimum waste flows and maximum recycling
Colruyt Group limits the waste streams to a minimum. We try to sell food products as much as possible, we donate any surpluses or reuse them. With regard to materials, the aim is also a maximum recycling rate.
Maximum sale of fresh food products
To prevent further food waste, we will keep the percentage of effectively sold fresh food above 97.4 % from 2021 onwards. We succeed in this thanks to well thought-out stock management with sales forecasts, optimal storage and an assortment tailored to customers' needs.
of our fresh food products effectively sold in 2023
food donated to social organisations in 2023
Unsold consumable food products
By 2025, at least 40 % of our remaining consumable but unsold products will be used for human or animal consumption. Food fit for consumption is given a new purpose in various ways.
- More and more unsold food is donated directly to various social organisations, including the Food Banks and Foodsavers.
- We are looking into how to upcycle surplus food from our largest and safest food waste streams, such as bananas, potatoes and bread.
- Bread, vegetables and fruit in particular are processed into animal feed.
In 2023, 44.7 % of our unsold food was used for human consumption or animal feed.
Switch to circular economy for materials
We are strongly focused on recycling materials and raw materials. Both in the stores themselves and in the recycling centres, we insist on a good sorting process. This allows every stream to be recycled optimally.
Recycling rate in 2023
In doing so, we go further than the law because we sort more streams than is mandatory. We reuse a number of streams - cardboard, film and hard plastics - within the circular economy by making new products from them:
- The cardboard waste of our stores is used to make strong reusable foldable boxes for our customers.
- For fruit and vegetables of our Boni private label we make dishes of our recycled cardboard.
- Film (chiefly logistics packaging and outer packaging) is recycled into new film.
- The discarded folding boxes of our Collect&Go online shopping service are ground into granulate. These granules of pure polypropylene can easily be recycled and are reused to make new folding boxes.
- Old office furniture is renovated or processed into new furniture.
- When renovating and demolishing buildings we reuse as many elements as possible ourselves or make them available to associations and charities free of charge.
