Delhaize Group Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 6 Percent

June 14, 2012

Delhaize Group reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent from product transport, compared to 2010 and reduced by 1.2 million the miles traveled by truck to company-operated stores, according to its 2011 Sustainability Progress Report,

“Over the period 2009 to 2011 we worked as a truly global business to build strong group-wide sustainability programs, in line with our group strategy, the New Game Plan," said Pierre-Olivier Beckers, president and CEO of Delhaize Group, the Belgian international food retailer with stores in 11 countries on three continents. At the end of the first quarter of 2012, Delhaize Group’s sales network consisted of 3 309 stores. "Through this work we have been putting the foundations in place to strengthen our performance not only on sustainability but also on growth and on efficiency, the other two pillars of our group strategy. We have also developed close relationships with stakeholders to help accelerate our progress. The next steps in our journey will be defined by our 2020 sustainability strategy, which we will announce in more detail later this year."

Other Delhaize Group achievements in 2011 included better resource efficiency by taking recycling food waste to the next level, resulting in 7, 307 tons recycled at Delhaize America and 5,916 tons recycled at Delhaize Belgium.

Delhaize Group said it also considers its membership The Sustainability Consortium “very important in terms of looking more concertedly at product sustainability and prioritizing product improvement. The strength of The Sustainability Consortium is to leverage the consortium’s collective knowledge across the retail and consumer goods sector and by bridging academic, stakeholder and business input to the sustainability of products,” the company said in a statement.

GRD Views: Congratulations to Delhaize for the progress on sustainability. In speaking to executives from Delhaize America recently, it’s clear there will continue to be solid progress going forward. -- John Failla for Green Retail Decisions

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Keywords: greenhouse gas emissions, recycling

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