Grupo DIA has committed to reduce waste to landfill by 40% globally by 2023.
The initiative will be implemented throughout the retailer’s value chain, from warehouse and dark store to stores.
Efficient waste management is one of the main objectives of Grupo DIA’s 2021-23 Sustainability Plan.
The retailer is undertaking a series of proactive actions that contribute to reducing food waste in all its markets, namely Spain, Argentina, Brazil and Portugal, it said.
A ‘Major Challenge’
According to the retailer, the commitment represents a ‘major challenge’, but one in which the entire large-scale distribution sector is involved, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Orders have also been optimised to meet the sales needs of each point of sale, reinforcing the assortment of fresh products and a daily control of the quality and expiration date of each product according to rotation and available stock.
In the case of Spain, measures implemented in 2021 have led to a reduction in food waste by approximately 5,250 tonnes, an 8% improvement compared to 2020.
In addition, DIA España is joining the International Food Loss and Waste Awareness Day with a series of actions aimed at raising awareness of this serious problem.
The Fight Against Food Waste
In Argentina, the retailer has been contributing to the fight against food waste for more than ten years by donating short shelf-life products to Banco de Alimentos, a contribution that in 2022 alone has reached a total of 55 tonnes of products.
In Brazil, measures implemented to improve assortment and stock management have resulted in reducing wastage by 86% in warehouses alone by 2021 and has prevented the generation of more than 1.2 million kilograms of waste in the last two years.
In the case of Portugal, supermarkets apply discounts on 3,800 products when their expiration date approaches and since November 2021, the company has distributed more than 63,000 boxes of products at reduced prices in 200 Minipreço stores, thanks to the partnership with the Too Good To Go platform.
The chain has also donated 170 tonnes of food to Banco Alimentar and other local social institutions through the Valongo, Torres Novas and Alverca distribution centres.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
