Currently about 3,500 projects are underway to reduce waste to landfill. It includes re-using waste meat to generate electricity through a third-party plant, turning recycled carrier bags into refuse bags and delivering and displaying products in reusable plastic trays.
Tesco is aiming to achieve zero waste to landfill across the country and is expected to reach 95% diversion rate by 2010.
Business can play a decisive role in tackling climate change by setting an example, guiding consumers towards more sustainable forms of consumption, making them affordable and providing information on green choices, says Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco chief executive in Tesco’s 2009 Corporate Responsibility Report.
The company has set an example in January by opening a store in Cheetham Hill in Manchester that slashed the carbon footprint of an equivalent 52,000 square feet store built in 2006, by 70%. Further, the company is planning to reduce the carbon footprint of existing buildings by 50% by 2020, compared to 2006.
The company has resorted to measures and programs in order to cut waste from the side of customers. Its Green Clubcard point scheme has been successful in reducing the number of plastic bags used since 2006.
