Pick n Pay launches ‘zero waste’ store pilot
Retail group Pick n Pay has launched a “zero-waste” supermarket pilot in Cape Town, as the group looks to reduce waste in its operations
The pilot store will test out a net-zero waste model by diverting food waste to local farmers, composters or waste-to-energy facilities.
“All edible surplus food – food that has passed its sell-by date but not its use-by date – is already donated to FoodForward SA, which feeds almost a million people daily through 2,750 beneficiary organisations,” the group said.
The retailer said that if the pilot proves successful, it hopes to replicate the model across more stores nationwide, with plans already in the pipeline to extend the concept to its distribution centres.
Pick n Pay Stellenbosch Square is piloting the model, and the store has partnered with supplier Farmer Angus, diverting approximately 600 kg of food waste per week from landfills.
“This is expected to save 1,500 kilograms of carbon emissions weekly – which is equivalent to a savings of 7,000 kilometres of emissions from a standard petrol car,” it said.
Staff at Pick n Pay Stellenbosch Square will separate food and organic waste from general waste and recyclables.
All food not donated for human consumption is placed into separate bins, de-packaged in the waste service area, and sent to Farmer Angus. This includes all food except pork products, for which the retailer is trailing a composting solution as part of the pilot.
The group added that the model will mitigate the harmful environmental effects of waste disposal while creating a “virtuous cycle” supporting local agriculture.
“Food waste is a significant contributor to carbon emissions. The partnership with Farmer Angus will see the nearby store’s expired food waste diverted from landfills to Farmer Angus’s pigs, effectively turning waste into a valuable resource for farmers,” said Steffen Burrows, Sustainability Manager at Pick n Pay.
“We are repurposing organic waste as animal feed, effectively closing the loop on waste generation and consumption. What brings this project even more full circle is that we stock Farmer Angus’ products on our shelves.”
Angus McIntosh, the owner of Farmer Angus, said the pigs on the farm will benefit from a new varied diet, including everything from fruit and vegetables to expired doughnuts.
“Not only do the pigs that eat the food waste become cured meat sold in Pick n Pay stores, but expired food is no longer going to landfill, which means that no methane will be discharged into the atmosphere from the food waste. Methane has 25 times the global warming potential of CO2.”
Pick n Pay said the pilot is about more than carbon footprint reduction but leans into the greater theme of conscious consumerism and environmental protection with community involvement.
The initiative forms part of the Pick n Pay Group’s wider commitment to reducing food waste and its environmental impact.
The retailer has set a goal to reduce food waste in its organisation by 50% by 2030. The group noted that in the previous financial year it diverted 62% of food waste from landfills through donations and prevented surplus food from going to waste.
“We want this pilot to serve as a blueprint for future sustainability endeavours across our stores and beyond,” Burrows said.
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