Waste management

Fighting food waste

We are committed to halving the food waste generated by our operations by 2030, in line with target 12.3 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. To measure and monitor our progress regarding the commitment made, we were the first retailer in Portugal to publicly calculate and disclose our waste footprint, in line with the World Resources Institute’s Food Loss and Waste methodology. 

One of the measures we have adopted is, whenever possible, to only indicate one expiration date on food products. This makes it easier for customers to understand the dates. Another measure we have in place is to offer discounts on products that are about to expire. 

In 2023, Biedronka established a partnership with Too Good To Go, a company that runs a surplus food sales platform. With this partnership, which covered around 500 stores, we estimate to have prevented 1.600 tons of food waste. 

Other measures to prevent waste:

• roast chicken and pig that are not sold, but which are still suitable for consumption, are shredded and used for pizzas, salads and sandwiches sold at the takeaway counter or in trays.
• salmon heads from the fish counter are sold at reduced prices;
• larger fruit (melons, watermelons, cantaloupe melons, papayas and pineapple) is cut into halves to avoid waste in stores and in consumers’ homes. 

“UGLY” FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

We also buy non-standard fruit and vegetables from suppliers. Instead of leaving them to rot in fields, we incorporate “ugly” produce into the soups we produce in Portugal and Poland or in 4th range products (washed and pre-cut ready-to-use vegetables), sold at Pingo Doce and Recheio stores. By doing so, we are helping to reduce waste upstream of our operations, whilst also ensuring that “ugly” fruits and vegetables, which have the same nutritional profile as their “prettier” counterparts, are integrated in the value chain, and are used.

Jerónimo Martins Agro-Alimentar also sources by-products from the food industry and non-standard vegetables for incorporation into cattle feed.

Waste recovery

Our commitment to the three-year period 2021-2023 was to guarantee an annual waste recovery rate of at least 85%. By the end of that period, we achieved a waste recovery rate of 85.4% on 593,000 tonnes of waste produced, 0.4 p.p. above the target set.