Carrefour announces roll out of its circular economy initiatives

Carrefour has rolled out several sustainable initiatives through partnerships with CHEP and GLS International, which will help reinforce Carrefour’s circular economy approach aimed at drastically reducing waste and increasing efficiency.

It has deployed CHEP’s pooling system in all of its warehouses, which replaces single-use pallets with reusable blue wooden ones to make it easier and more sustainable to move items between its suppliers and stores. CHEP’s solution ensures that supply chain packaging can be shared and reused whilst distributing Carrefour’s large range of products to more than 107 Stores across the UAE, including four DC warehouses. By replacing single-use pallets with wooden ones, CHEP will help Carrefour to eliminate 62 tonnes of carbon emissions and 4.4 tonnes of waste. CHEP is consistently rated as one of the most environmentally friendly businesses in the world.

Carrefour has also partnered with GLS to replace its current one-way cardboard packaging delivery with returnable plastic crates across its entire supply chain, reducing waste en route between Carrefour warehouses and stores. Carrefour advanced tracking systems have been designed for returnable packaging management. Not only will this allow for more sustainable connections with local suppliers, but it will keep items from being damaged during transit, therefore also reducing food waste.

“Our circular economy model represents the future of our operations. Collaborating with leading solution companies such as CHEP and GLS is only a starting point in our sustainability journey. We are committed to contributing to Majid Al Futtaim’s goal of becoming Net Positive by 2040, and together, with our customers, we will save the planet,” said Bernardo Perloiro, Chief Operations Officer of Carrefour UAE at Majid Al Futtaim Retail. “Carrefour encourages all of its partners to use circular economy solutions and work towards eliminating needless waste by sharing and reusing resources.”

To offer significant supply chain benefits and enhance the flow of items from beginning to end, suppliers to consumers, Carrefour’s delivery vehicles are going green too. Its older, heavier trucks have been replaced with a modern fleet that can meet higher emission standards. The upgrade will ensure that the new trucks comply by the Euro Norms 4 & 5 standards to reduce CO by twenty-five per cent and particles by fifty per cent.

These will operate with a custom-made, extended body chassis that ensure as many items as possible can fit inside and reach their destinations as efficiently as possible. Carrefour has made nearly sixty-six per cent of its existing fleet sustainable with plans to replace the remaining vehicles as well by the end of the year. With this move, Carrefour has increased its efficiency in transporting more pallets per day and is reducing the number of trucks on the road by 20 per cent.