ENVIRONMENT
SUMMARY OF PERFORMANCE AGAINST SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENTS AND TARGETS
Our Environmental Claims Policy was developed in line with the ACCC’s guidelines Green Marketing and the Trade Practices Act, published in February 2008.
5,354 tonnes of organic waste was sent to EarthPower, generating sufficient power for 270 houses.
| Target or commitment | Progress | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| CO2-e emissions reduction from facilities | ||
| Overall 40% CO2-e reduction by 2015 (on projected growth levels), bringing our emissions back to 2006 levels. | in progress | We have implemented some measures and there is a lot more to do. At this point our emissions have increased from the base year. Once new technologies have been approved to be rolled out across individual stores, it takes time for the savings to accumulate to a level where it can be seen as a reduction in the aggregate total emissions from our business. |
| Build all new Woolworths supermarkets opening from September 2008 to conform to our sustainable design guidelines to minimise energy use and environmental impacts. | in progress | Of the 24 supermarkets scheduled to open after September 2008, all but three will contain significant environmental features. The three that do not meet the guidelines are opening later than anticipated due to building delays and are being fitted with conventional refrigeration units that had already been ordered prior to the sustainable design guidelines being released. |
| Achieve 25% reduction in CO2-e emissions per square metre for new sustainable store designs compared with business as usual designs. | in progress | The Rouse Hill store achieved a 36% reduction in CO2-e per square metre compared to the business as usual store design, achieved through energy efficiency improvements and changes to refrigerants. |
| Work with the Green Building Council to develop a green star-rating tool for retail. | not achieved | We did not have the opportunity to be involved in the development of the rating tool; however, we are using the rating tool to evaluate our Pakington Strand retail centre in Geelong West, Victoria. |
| Engage with interested parties in the development of an ecological footprinting calculator for evaluation of supermarket interior design and fit-out. | in progress | In progress. |
| CO2-e emissions reduction from transport | ||
| Establish accurate baseline data in 2007–08 for all modes of transport. | in progress | Our transport data for 2007–08 is more comprehensive and includes third party carriers as well as rail. |
| Establish a forum with major transport suppliers to develop a low carbon strategy for our third party distribution network. | not achieved | We have been working with individual third party providers but have not yet established a forum. |
| Conduct a comprehensive study on biodiesel availability in Australia, including quality, vehicle compatibility and cost impacts. | completed | Sponsored CSIRO “Fuel for thought” research. |
| Provide financial support to CSIRO Future Fuels Forum on alternative fuel research. | completed | Woolworths sponsored the CSIRO Future Fuels Forum and the Logistics team participated in the forum. |
| Trial the use of hybrid powered trucks for home deliveries. | not achieved | Delayed. |
| 25% reduction of CO2-e emissions per carton delivered by Woolworths owned trucks by 2012. | in progress | In progress. |
| 30% reduction on 2006 levels in CO2-e emissions from company car fleet of 3,100 cars (dependant on mix of car size and fuels chosen) by 2010. However, the fleet is likely to increase in future as the business grows. | not achieved | During 2007–08 the level of CO2-e emissions rose by 9.2% due to an increase in the number of cars in the fleet and a delay in converting to more fuel-efficient cars. |
| Water efficiency | ||
| Develop a more complete baseline of water usage. | in progress | Many of our stores located in shopping centres do not have metered water usage. It is not cost effective to install meters in existing stores, but all new stores will have meters installed. We are working on modelling water usage based on available data. |
| Roll out the Water Wise project nationally for all our supermarkets. | completed | 812 stores have been retrofitted with water efficient fixtures and fittings. |
| Reduce water use by at least 200 million litres a year by 2010. | in progress | Water use reduced by 20 million litres on previous year. |
| Ethical sourcing | ||
| We will work with auditors and non-government organisation partners to identify the gaps in our processes, understand high-risk areas and develop consistent sustainable buying and sourcing policies and procedures that can be implemented across all business divisions. Our aim is to identify gaps and develop an implementation plan within 12 months. | completed | The Ethical Sourcing Policy has been developed and approved. Implementation will commence in February 2009. Please refer to page 23 in this report for more information. |
| We will conduct tailored training and capacity building for our buyers to help them understand issues and types of third party certification required from suppliers, so they can more effectively manage issues around ethical and sustainable sourcing. | completed | An Environmental Claims Policy has been developed and all buying, advertising and marketing staff have been trained. Decisions involving environmental certification must now be referred to a “subject matter expert” for verification. |
| Packaging | ||
| Establish a supplier forum to work together on more sustainable packaging. | completed | Initial forum held on 12 September 2008, to share experiences in using Packaging Impact Quick Evaluation Tool (PIQET). We will aim to continue this on an ongoing basis. |
| Establish more comprehensive baseline data for packaging of Private Label products, including information on materials consumption, local/imported origin, recycled content and recyclability. | in progress | 43 Private Label products have been assessed for establishing a baseline. We have a lot more work to do in this area. |
Review Private Label procurement policy and supplier guidelines to incorporate:
|
in progress | Guideline development is in progress. Supplier training has not yet commenced, but is scheduled for 2009. |
| Conduct an audit of compliance with the ECOPP and ISO 14021 for Private Label products. | completed | Sustainable Packaging Alliance is conducting this review for Private Label packaging in our supermarkets. Review findings are expected in August 2008. |
| Trial the use of PIQET for Private Label products. | completed | PIQET has been trialled on three products to date. |
| Report annually to the National Packaging Covenant (NPC) and Woolworths Corporate Responsibility Report. | completed | Woolworths’ NPC Annual Report and data for 2006–07 was submitted in December 2007 and approved by the NPC. Our report was rated 3.7 stars by NPC out of a 5 star rating system. |
| Implement revised Private Label procurement policy and supplier guidelines by 2008. | in progress | Guidelines for packaging are under development. |
| Provide training to 50 suppliers by 2008. | not achieved | Delayed. Scheduled to commence in 2009. |
| Use PIQET to evaluate 20 Private Label products by 2010. | in progress | The packaging for three Private Label products has been assessed using PIQET. We are yet to make decisions regarding packaging amendments. Will continue our assessments. |
| Continue to replace waxed cardboard and foam boxes with reusable plastic crates where possible, with a targeted increase of 1.7 million to 3.4 million crates. | in progress | Reusable crates have been ordered and rollout is planned to commence in February 2009. |
| Waste minimisation | ||
| Identify organics recycling technologies similar to EarthPower for recycling source separated food waste from supermarkets outside Sydney and determine commercial feasibility. | in progress | At present, the number of facilities outside Sydney is limited. We will continue to investigate feasibility of this option in consultation with our service providers. |
| Implement a waste audit program for all stores and Distribution Centres. | not achieved | Plan to be developed in 2009. |
| Continue phasing out polystyrene. | in progress | Increase in number of reusable crates will further reduce the need to use polystyrene boxes. |
| Implement a staff education program to encourage greater recovery of plastic and cardboard. | completed | Education and awareness programs are being used in stores and Distribution Centres to drive behaviour change. |
| Increase the number of Sydney stores using EarthPower from 53 to 100 by 2010. | in progress | We are working on a plan to extend the EarthPower service to additional stores in 2008–09. |
| Eliminate food waste from the general waste stream by 2015 (where receiving facilities are available). | in progress | In 2007–08, 5,354 tonnes of organic waste matter was sent to EarthPower, and just over 1,250 tonnes of food unsuitable for retail sales was donated to Foodbank. The number of stores which will use EarthPower will increase to 97 in 2008–09. |
| Reduce amount of plastic in the general waste stream to less than 1% by weight by 2010. | in progress | Education and awareness programs are being used in stores and Distribution Centres to drive behaviour change. In 2007–08, 6,057 tonnes of plastic was diverted from landfill and 10,132 pallet boxes of BIG W clothes hangers were reused. |
| Reduce amount of cardboard in the general waste stream to less than 1% by weight by 2010. | in progress | Education and awareness programs are being used in stores and Distribution Centres to drive behaviour change. We continue to introduce reusable plastic crates, which eliminate the need for 26 million cardboard cartons each year. |