As the UK approaches the legal Net Zero deadline of 2050, with some supermarkets having set their own earlier targets, it's important that retailers have effective strategies in place for reducing their carbon emissions.
Making carbon reduction work for your business
It's crucial to think about implementing carbon reduction strategies in a way that aids your operational efficiency, whilst also ensuring compliance with legislation and protecting your bottom line. You need to consider payback periods and return on investment, to ensure that initial investment in carbon reduction solutions is worthwhile.
If you develop a carbon reduction roadmap as part of your overarching sustainability strategy, you can assess all areas of your business to identify areas where emissions can be cut, and you can plan the most cost-effective solutions which will enable your business's operations to maintain their efficiency.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Implementing the waste hierarchy should be at the forefront of your business's mind. Reducing the amount of waste you produce will help you achieve zero to landfill targets and minimise disposal costs. Similarly, reusing what you can will close the loop within your business and help you instil a circular economy.
For waste that can't be avoided, recycling is of course crucial. Efficient segregation of waste is key to increasing recycling quantities, as it reduces the volume that ends up in general waste and allows different materials to follow individual recycling routes. We can even help you recycle difficult to treat items or find ways to turn your recycled materials into new products that will benefit your business. 2.Carbon reduction is more than likely already high on your agenda, but as we hopefully move out of the pandemic, it will be the perfect opportunity to review your carbon reduction strategy, to ensure that you are prepared for Net-Zero. This could be implementing small changes within your business, for example, installing smart lighting solutions or improving water efficiency.
On a larger scale, now could be the time to think about implementing an overall Zero Carbon Strategy, which can take into account all areas of your business and enable you to make high-level decisions about where changes can be made to reduce emissions. An overall strategy gives you the opportunity to analyse your business's data and develop solutions accordingly.
Finding the right solutions for you
Veolia can work with your business to develop a carbon reduction timeline, and implement the solutions to help you get there. We can advise on the best solutions that will ensure you remain compliant and that can support your whole business align with your goals, including your supply chain.
We can focus on several key areas to reduce your business's carbon footprint and also identify cost savings. These include waste, which can be a significant contributor to emissions. We can support you to reduce waste volumes, recycle more and close the loop by repurposing waste materials where possible. As part of our circular economy approach, we can also work with you to make packaging more sustainable, and to offer greener packaging alternatives for customers.
Other areas we can focus on are energy, including exploring the possibility of generating your own energy on site and introducing greener options into your energy supply. With transport being one of the biggest contributors to emissions, we can also work with you to develop a plan for electrifying your fleet, with practical support from us for installing an EV charging infrastructure.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
Find out more ways we can help your business reduce carbon emissions in preparation for Net Zero.
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