Reduce, reuse and recycle

We've hit our target to divert 100 per cent of our waste from landfill – almost a year ahead of schedule.

We’re committed to no longer sending waste we send to landfill and enabling our customers to reduce their own waste. Here’s how we’re doing it:

Dealing with waste from stores

Recycling

We now recycle all the waste we produce in our 2,315 stores and distribution centres in the UK. We have done this by focusing on reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering the energy from waste that would have been originally sent to landfill sites.

Our stores remove the bulk of recyclable materials from the waste stream, which is then sent on for recycling. The remaining waste is treated as a resource and taken to a range of facilities spread across the UK, where they remove as much recyclable material as possible (dependant upon the technology).

• We are the largest recycler of cardboard in the UK – processing 300,000 tonnes per year.
• The cardboard we recycle finds its way back to our stores as product packaging within 14 days.
• We recycle carrier bags into refuse sacks.
• We recycle all our waste plastic, some of which goes into our bag for life.
• We send used cooking oil and chicken fat to be converted into bio fuel.
• We also generate heat and electricity from our meat waste – 5,000 tonnes of out-of-date meat generates enough renewable energy to power more than 600 homes for a year.

Reducing and reusing

We’ve introduced reusable green trays, which replace cardboard boxes used to transport and display products. This has saved 20,000 tonnes in the UK.

We are now using reusable plastic flower buckets as an alternative to cardboard packaging – saving 150 tonnes of cardboard per year.

We recycle 2,000 tonnes of used cooking oil and chicken fat from our rotisserie counters and staff restaurants – which is turned into biofuel. We are currently looking into how we can use it to fuel Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units in our environmental stores and also our customers' vehicles sold on our petrol forecourts.

We salvage 4,000 tonnes of scrap metal, such as shelving.

We are working with Fareshare, a charity that redistributes surplus food through its community food network working with disadvantaged people. We also work with Company Shop, a business that sells-on surplus products through a network of staff shops. Company Shop contributes a percentage of the return from the sale of any Tesco brand product to Tesco nominated charities, which includes Fareshare.

We are trialling these schemes with depots, stores and in conjunction with a number of our suppliers to redistribute the limited amount of surplus food fit to eat. In both cases the surplus food is redirected for consumption rather than being sent down a waste disposal route.

Waste from our stores that cannot be recycled

Working with our waste partners (Severnside Recycling), we no longer send our waste to landfill. We use a number of different waste treatment technologies across the UK. These alternatives allow our waste to be classed as a valuable resource, generating renewable energy, alternative fuels to fossil fuels and fertilisers.

The future

As new technologies develop and become established, Tesco will move with these, ensuring that we maximise recycling and treat non-recyclable waste as a valuable resource.

Recycling and you

We’re making recycling easier for you with the following:

• Automated recycling machines. Many larger stores have our automated recycling machines that sort plastic, metal and glass, so you don't have to. The units compact the waste, which means more can be stored and fewer collections are required. This helps to reduce CO2 emissions. Recyclers at these machines can earn green Clubcard points: two cans = one point.
• Recycling on the Go. In addition to our large automated recycling machines, we have launched a smaller, 'on-the-go' machine for plastic bottles and cans. It is designed to complement our smaller stores, helping customers recycle on the high street and in their local neighbourhood. Find out more about Recycling on the Go.
• Many other stores have traditional recycling facilities, provided by councils and other organisations. These recycle a range of materials from glass and plastic bottles, steel and aluminium cans to paper, cardboard, shoes and clothing.
• Clothes and textiles. We offer a facility at over 450 stores where you can recycle clothes and textiles. We work with 11 nominated charities, who benefit from the proceeds.
• Batteries. We have been trialling a WRAP scheme in selected stores to collect used batteries. From February 2010 we will be providing this facility in all our stores. 
• Mobile phone and inkjet recycling schemes. It’s easy to take part and you can collect green Clubcard points or choose to make a charity donation. Alternatively, there’s the online mobile recycling scheme.