Over the past three years, Carrefour has managed to reduce by 50% the presence of plastic in all its fruit and vegetable packaging. This figure reaffirms the company as a reference in the reduction of plastic in Spain. The products are now packed in other materials such as cardboard, mesh or biodegradable packaging. In 3 years, the company has used 1,000 tons less plastic.
Specific examples include the elimination of plastic in 70% of the vegetable packaging, 100% of the Carrefour citrus fruit packages up to 1.5kg, and in 80% of own-brand grapes. Instead, other alternative materials are used such as cellulose for mesh and cardboard for fruit trays.
At the Carrefour Group level, over the same period, 7,154 tons of plastic were eliminated and the goal is to eliminate 20,000 tons of packaging by 2025, including 15,000 tons of plastic.
Pioneering initiatives in terms of sustainable development
For Carrefour, eliminating waste is a challenge that requires a collective response in which factories, retailers and clients work together. Carrefour was the first company in Spain to allow its clients to use their own tupperware boxes to buy fresh products, thus reducing the amount of packaging at the counters.
This action completes the plan of measures undertaken by the company to reduce the use of plastic. Another innovative measure is to provide clients with a pack of 100% cotton tights that can be bought and reused for future purchases. Additionally, compostable and biodegradable bags are used in the vegetable aisles. For the dried fruit, there is an assortment of more than 80 references in bulk, and olives and pickles are available in glass jars. Also, clients are provided with reusable cardboard and a ‘box” to throw the plastic away once they have finished their purchase.
In order to complete these measures, Carrefour has the ReciclaYa app, available for iPhone and Android, which provides information on recycling to learn how to separate and recycle the products on the supermarket receipt.
Additionally, Carrefour has been conducting the #MiPlayaSinPlásticos project with Procter & Gamble (P&G) for 5 years in order to raise awareness about the impact of throwing waste on beaches and to choose a sandy area each year where to conduct a clean-up day. Since its launch, #MiPlayaSinPlásticos has collected 1,700 kg of waste.
Carrefour will continue to work to promote the initiatives that reduce their environmental impact and contribute to the sustainable development of the sector.
For more information:
https://www.carrefour.com/fr