Waitrose green policy with ethical fish gives good results

In the UK-Market many customers seek for ethical sources for fresh fish. The English Waitrose stepped into this market by offering only sustainable fish, this step resulted into a growth of 15% in fish sales compared to the last years. The policy also implied froozen fish, which grew with 21% compared last year.

Waitrose has been one of the big sponsors of the movie “The End of the Line” a movie around ethical fishing, afterwards a big press campaign and consumer interest resulted into an increased interest about sustainability.

It is shown that when consumers know more about the reality of the situation, they most want to buy sustainable fish. The retail company only wants to provide this type of fish, meaning that for example swordfish cannot be offered, the company did not find a sustainable source for this type of fish. The ethical fishing policy of Waitrose includes a ban on many species under threat, and on damaging fishing methods.

Belgian Supermarket Chain Colruyt producing their own green energy

The Belgian retailer Colruyt announced the plan to only use own manufactured green energy.

At the end of 2011 Colruyt wants to produce their own energy with green production methods, becoming the first Belgian retailer that is 100% CO2-neutral. Currently the company already uses green electricity, a big part produced with their own wind mills and sun panels but the rest purchased externally.

To achieve this goal, Colruyt is investing in new energy projects. Every renovation or new supermarket will be foreseen of sun panels on top of the roof. The current amount of 3 wind mills will be extended with a further amount of 9 new wind mills. The company recently commented the purchase of the company Fraxicor, this company transforms fat of animal garbarge into environmental friendly green electricity.

Other important measurements that the retailer took is to close all frozen food furniture, lighting at parking and at warehouse with high efficiency lamps. The objective is to reduce the yearly growth of energy consumption to less than 10%.

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German retailer Rewe to increase its sustainability activities

Rewe is to increase its sustainability activities by offering greener products as a result of re-assessing its supply chain, and by doubling its use of solar energy at its own warehouses in Germany and the Czech Republic.

The chain is already sourcing sustainable grapes, strawberries and peppers from Spain and Italy. It is hoped that citrus fruits will follow suit later this year. In addition to this, Rewe hopes to extend the green method of sourcing to its dairy and fish ranges. The business seeks to work with suppliers who have an overtly environmentally conscious approach.

The firm also wants to use more solar energy through special panels on its warehouse roofs in Germany and the Czech Republic.

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Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo introduces biological flowers

Jumbo starts to sell biological flowers in their supermarkets. The flowers are sold in a bouquet and under the brand name “Bioflora Made With”.

The bouquets consist of 100% biological flowers. Biological flowers are cultivated without artificial manure and synthetical insecticides. Jumbo started a corporation for the sales of flowers with Bioflora, a Dutch corporation of biological farmers.

Fresh market concept Marqt in the city centre of Amsterdam

After the opening of the first Marqt store in the city centre of Amsterdam, this new retail chain recenlty opened the doors of the second ecological supermarket, this time in Haarlem. Marqt is a new retail concept where real food is the central focus.

They have 5 basic principles in their formula: the real food is original, made with respect for the environment, real fresh, made with passion and tastes good.

The partners are selected under these criteria, all professionals with heart for their products and businesses. The products mainly come from the region and because of the selection of their providers the products directly come the Marqt supermarkets without loosing anything of their freshness.

In the design of the fresh market you can see a lot of wood, metal, stone and the colours black and white, every material is choosen because of the sustainability. The fresh produce are presented in wooden boxes. Central in the store you can see a kitchen island and the fresh square with meat, fish and cheese. Next to the fresh produce this fresh market offers a wide range of prepared meal solutions.

When you are visiting the city of Amsterdam or Haarlem this new concept is for sure worth a visit.

Spanish hypermarket chain Alcampo (Auchan) celebrates its second edition of the week of the green shopping bag

The Spanish hypermarket chain Alcampo celebrates its second edition of the week of the green shopping bag, this takes place in the 50 hypermarkets this chain has in Spain. During this week the hypermarket formula shows the need and the reasons for consumers to act responsable when they do their shopping, providing them with green shopping bags, made of recycled material.

Alcampo wants to contribute to the support of the reduction of the environmental impact by the one time use plastic shopping bags, that is why they supply the recyclable bag. This action fits in the project of the reduction of the plastic bags in the hypermarkets which Alcampo started in May 2009. This is supported by the slogan “More products in the bag, less bags in the world.”

Alcampo was in Spain the first chain of hypermarkets introducing alternatives to the plastic shopping bags, introducing recyclable bags and biodegrable made of bio patatoes.

In the company policy social responsability maintains a strong agreement with the environment. In 2004, white shopping bags were replaced by transparent bags, deleing the titan, a white pigment of these bags. Furthermore these shopping bags are more resistent and are filled better, reducing the consumption of plastic bags.

One year later, with the implemententation of green check-outs in all the hypermarkets. With these green check-outs Auchan was the first distribution company in Spain offering this sustainable medium, cash machines that did not have plastic bags. The clients in these rows can use their own shopping bags or purchase ecological shopping bags offered by the hypermarket chain.

Alcampo in Spain posesses 50 hypermarkets and 26 service stations in 14 Spanish communities, with a total of 15.500 employees.

New generation green supermarket Tengelmann Klimarkt

Tengelmann opened half a year ago their first Tengelmann Klimamarkt. This follows the objective that the supermarket chain Tengelmann gave itself. Before 2020 they want to reduce to the level of CO2-emissions with at least 20 per cent. Environmental and natural solutions to save the environment.

Their newest Klimamarkt can be seen as an example of an environmental-friendly store. This green supermarket uses 50% less energy than the traditional supermarket and they also succeeded to reduce the emission of CO2 to almost the level of 0.

What did they do and how did they do it? This green supermarket of the newest generation, warmth is being used to transform it into energy, the cooling and refrigeration departments have environmental-friendly furniture with all the doors closed. Furthermore there was a lighting plan created, were LED-lighting could promote the products, make them more sustainable and reduce the level of energy.

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