In the most recent edition of ESM, as part of our Sustainability 2022 feature, we spoke to a number of top executives working across the global retail and consumer goods landscape about how they are seeking to set a high bar when it comes to sustainability.
Laura Fernández, Manager of Sustainable Transport and Safety in Transport, Mercadona
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated sustainability. During the first months of the pandemic, we witnessed a great reduction in air pollution levels as a result of the activities of both businesses and individual users coming to a halt.
This led to the initial targets set in the European Green Deal being modified in September of 2020 for more ambitious ones.
Environmental awareness has been growing in recent years. At Mercadona, we are aware of the impact of our daily work on society and that effective environmental management is crucial for the proper functioning of any company. We still have much to improve, but the results achieved thus far encourage us to continue working.
Commitment To Circular Economy
All of us, governments, companies and civil society, are living in an age in which it is necessary to reassess production processes and firmly commit to a Circular Economy that is low in waste and carbon. Mercadona is no stranger to this transition, and as part of its business strategy, it has said 'yes' to continuing to take care of the planet.
In the case of Mercadona’s logistics structure, the cornerstone of the distribution process is efficient logistics that allows for products to be delivered to stores with the maximum guarantees of food safety, quality and freshness.
Furthermore, to comply with the necessary efficiency requirements, logistics management must be performed through the best possible use of available means. This is what is known at Mercadona as 'transporting more with fewer resources', which translates into a series of strategies aimed at transporting the maximum number of products in the fewest possible trips.
Mercadona is performing a review of its logistics processes that includes solutions such as the use of less polluting alternative fuels, improvements to the refrigeration equipment in the lorries and vans, and adherence to initiatives such as Lean & Green to certify and communicate the reduction of emissions due to transport.
Lean & Green
In November 2020, Mercadona joined the Lean & Green initiative with the goal of developing an Emissions Reduction and Action plan that would enable us to quantify the measures that have already been implemented, and help us to define a Road Map for the coming years, always taking into account the targets of the European Green Deal and climate change legislation.
At Mercadona, we are currently working on the Road Map for the next four years with the goal of continuing to reduce our emissions in transport and analysing the new technologies emerging in the market, such as hybrid, 100% electric and hydrogen fuel cell-powered lorries.
Additionally, we have already converted over 300 Home Delivery and Mercadona Online vans Dual Fuel (Diesel and LPG) systems, and we are currently testing electric vans to verify how this technology adapts to our daily operations and to define our needs.
Read More: Mercadona Marks First Anniversary Of 'Strategy 6.25' Initiative
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
