Environment
As a retail and service organisation, our main impact on the environment is through the buildings we operate and the resources used by staff in their day-to-day work. In addition to complying with environmental laws and regulations, we aim to minimise waste through recycling and re-use of materials, to ensure efficient use of energy and water and to raise awareness of environmental issues within the Group. Our Property Department takes primary responsibility for identifying environmental issues within the Group’s Retail estate, Head Office and regional office buildings, and to identify opportunities for improvement. As a cost-efficient business, many environmentally beneficial improvements have already been introduced across our Retail estate as these changes also drove cost benefits.
Our shop estate is refurbished on a highly-efficient 18-year cycle, with full partial improvements at years six and 12 and refurbishments at year 18. We use durable materials to minimise the need for replacements. We now fit high-frequency light fittings in all new development and refurbishment projects, thereby reducing the number of lamps requiring disposal. Our air-conditioning and fascia lighting are controlled by time clocks and movement-sensitive light systems are used at our Head Office to reduce electricity consumption. New-style fascias are being rolled-out as shops are upgraded and more energy-efficient (inverter) air-conditioning units continue to be installed on new projects and when replacements are required, which brings further benefits.
Across the Retail estate, we have established water management systems for toilet facilities to reduce water consumption and an increasing proportion of the LBO estate is fitted with water meters.
We are fully compliant with all current legislative guidelines regarding the disposal of hazardous waste and comply with the Waste, Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, which was introduced in 2007. In 2009, as part of our car policy review we introduced CO2 emission caps for cars being used by employees. The company car fleet is entirely diesel-powered.
Between March and July 2010, we rolled out recycling of mixed waste to 99% of the shops in our Retail estate, enabling them to recycle paper, newspapers, shop display papers and drinks cans. Our overall recycling percentage in Retail was 2% at January 2010 and had increased to 40% in the ten months from the launch in March to December 2010. During the year, the quantity of waste diverted from landfill to recycling increased from 25 tonnes in January to an average of 232 tonnes a month in the period from March to December.
The annual average waste bag usage at each shop had reduced from approximately 490 in 2009 to approximately 450 in 2010 and our goal is to reduce that further to 430 in 2011. Together with our partner, Greenstar, we have put in processes to drive these further reduction.
By the end of 2010, all of our shops will be able to recycle paper, newspapers, shop display papers and drinks cans.
Registered Office: Greenside House, 50 Station Road, Wood Green, London N22 7TP.
Registration Number 4212563 England
