Sainsbury’s Wareham puts all store waste to positive use
- Retailer achieves zero waste to landfill
- Wareham customers have played a part by recycling batteries and carrier bags
- Wareham has donated food to Purbeck Gateway Church
Sainsbury’s has achieved its 20×20 sustainability target of putting all its store waste to positive use – and diverting it from landfill and customers at Wareham have played a part in this significant achievement.
The store, situated in The Rempstone Centre, South Street, provides customers with in-store battery and plastic bag recycling banks. Sainsbury’s Wareham Store Manager Chris Strowger said: “Our recycling facilities are used every day by our customers and it’s great that they’re helping us to reduce our impact on the environment and send no waste to landfill”.
The store also works with FareShare, a leadingUKfood redistribution charity, tohelp relieve UK food poverty. The partnership has nearly reached 20 years and Sainsbury’sprovides FareShare withfood from its stores’ back doors and depots.
Last October, Sainsbury’s second annual Million Meal Appeal food drive saw 1000 meals donated to charities around the area, following food donations across one weekend from customers. Local stores including Talbot Heath and Poole also donated 1000 meals as part of the FareShare scheme.
Other areas which have helped Sainsbury’s become No Waste to Landfill include:
- Any waste bakery products not suitable for charities is donated to animal sanctuaries or processed into high energy biscuit meals for animal feed for pigs and cows, supporting British farming.
- After this any remaining food waste is turned into energy through anaerobic digestion, which is themost efficient method of generating energy from waste. Sainsbury’s is theUK’s largest retail user of anaerobic digestion, generating enough energy to power 2,500 homes.
- General waste is baled in supermarkets and along with general waste from its convenience stores, it is then backhauled to facilities to be sorted and recycled or turned into fuel.
Jade Hedges-Stearn
