Pick n Pay scoops three sustainability awards
Volume: Volume 2 Issue 6 |  Thursday, 07 July 2011 |  Supermarket Online  |  0 comment

Amy Morris

Pick n Pay reaffirmed its leadership as one of South Africa’s greenest and most sustainable retailers when it scooped three coveted awards in recognition of its sustainability initiatives.

Pick n Pay was awarded the ESG (Environmental Social Governance) Award as well as the Innovation Through Technology Award at the annual African Access National Business Awards. The retailer also won second place in the Mail & Guardian’s annual ‘Greening the Future’ awards for the most innovative environmental strategy last night.

Said Bronwen Rohland, Pick n Pay’s Marketing and Sustainability Director: “It is an honour to be the recipient of these prestigious awards. Pick n Pay was the first retailer to highlight the importance of sustainable living in the early 1990’s and in the past two decades, we have invested a considerable amount of time, energy, money and commitment in making sure our business moves rapidly to the highest levels of sustainability. Incorporating good practice not only into our business but also into the product ranges we offer.”

In the past decade, Pick n Pay has led the way in a number of retail initiatives aimed at embedding sustainable practices in the retail industry. “We are considered one of South Africa’s greenest retailers and we work very hard to make sure sustainable practices are part of our core activities,” Rohland said. Last year, Pick n Pay opened its new flagship store, Pick n Pay on Nicol in Hurlingham, marking the turning point in sustainable architecture for South African retail stores. Representing the latest in global building trends, Pick n Pay on Nicol successfully combines a natural design offering aesthetic ambience, energy efficiency and responsible use of natural resources.

The company has led the way in a number of sustainability initiatives in the past decade. Waste management and recycling continues to remain a primary focus area for Pick n Pay. Waste is sorted and sent for recycling at all Pick n Pay Corporate stores and Hypermarkets, which has in addition to creating new jobs, has also reduced the amount of waste sent to landfills dramatically.

Pick n Pay was also the first retailer to launch PET wine bottles. These PET bottles reduces green house emissions by 55% and the reduced weight and diameter of the PET bottle allows for up to 36% more product to be transported in the same container space. In addition, Pick n Pay Green household cleaning products are biodegradable, and nontoxic to humans, animals and plant life. The company also recently extended its ‘Green Range’ of household products to include garbage bags made from 100% recycled material, 70% of which is post consumer recycled material.

“To assist consumers with their own recycling, all Pick n Pay Corporate stores and Hypermarkets are equipped with recycling units for batteries, CFLs, ink-cartridges and plastic bags. We also offer to collect plastic bags and plastic containers, batteries and CFL’s for recycling when groceries are ordered via its online shopping site,” Rohland said.

“We will continue to research, innovate and apply our findings to business practises and ultimately share our journey with our customers in order to assist them in reducing their own impact on the environment through adopting more sustainable lifestyles,” Rohland said.