Colruyt sorts and recycles 82% of its waste

Supermarket chain Colruyt has managed to increase the percentage of company waste that is recycles to 82% – with an increase of 2% in the first half of this year. It’s a record for the Halle-based company, which has already exceeded its goal to reach 80% by 2017.

A major contributor to the result is an improved sorting policy for staff. The supermarket has improved the way it sorts both fermentable and bread waste, resulting in 700 fewer tons of such waste being thrown out every year. Fermentable foods can be used to create green energy.

This year, 14 Colruyt supermarkets in Belgium have also started selling unsold edible food products to local food banks. Each supermarket provides some three tons of food per month. “That means that less food surpluses are going back to our distribution centres,” said Francoise Decoster of Colruyt’s environmental department. “Fermentation is useful because it generates green energy, but it’s even better to use our food surpluses for human consumption.”

The percentage of residual waste has also decreased thanks to new sorting installations in the return centres. The waste is sorted and certain materials removed for recycling such as metal, cardboard and wood.