Saskatoon, Canada, 2015-5-5 — /EPR Retail News/ — While a cleaner, greener earth is a reward of its own, the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council has recognized Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) for its environmental efforts.
“FCL is committed to reducing waste, increasing our waste diversion and being leaders in environmental sustainability,” said Sustainability Advisor Brittney Hoemsen. “We’re continually looking for opportunities to reduce waste, recycle and reuse across all our operational business lines.”
The Waste Minimization Awards recognize excellence in waste reduction in Saskatchewan in seven categories, promote leadership and inspire all sectors to participate in waste reduction activities. The awards were presented April 23 in Saskatoon, Sask., with FCL being recognized in the corporation category.
Hoemsen said FCL has been working to reduce waste for two decades.
“We are focused on influencing employee awareness and engagement in this area,” Hoemsen said. “I’m proud that we’re building a culture that supports recycling and other sustainability efforts. We’re not only trying to do this at FCL, but help customers reduce their own waste to enhance their communities.”
Highlights of waste reduction in 2014
- Donating hundreds of thousands of food items to local food banks in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary and Edmonton. In 2014, over 105,000 kilograms of produce and perishable items approaching their best before dates were donated to the Saskatoon Food Bank.
- Switching the packaging of CO-OP® GOLD Natural Spring Water to 100 per cent recycled plastic.
- Bucks for Batteries provides a rebate to Co-op customers recycling old automotive batteries. Since the program’s inception more than a decade ago, FCL has annually diverted an average of 30,000 lead acid batteries from the landfill.
- Collaboration with Clean Farms, a non-profit agriculture stewardship organization that collects obsolete pesticides and livestock medication as well as empty plastic containers.
- FCL also collects unused agricultural seed for recycling.
- FCL Home Office’s enhanced recycling program has achieved a waste diversion rate of 81 per cent. This includes a 21 per cent reduction in paper and 13 per cent reduction in total waste sent to landfill since 2013.
Sustainability leadership
FCL has also shown leadership by working with partners to research, develop and implement sustainable methods to clean up contaminated petroleum and fertilizer sites. Through Extended Product Responsibility programs, FCL has helped divert motor oil, paint, scrap tires, waste electronics and product packaging from the landfill.
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