By converting 1 000 tonnes of food waste into animal feed over the past six months, the Shoprite Group said it was providing enough fodder for up to 3 000 cattle daily.
It said that was part of its commitment to environmental sustainability and advancing the circular economy.
The group said it was repurposing food products, returned from Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets to its distribution centres in Brackenfell, Western Cape, and in Centurion, Gauteng, that were no longer fit for human consumption, thereby preventing waste from ending up in landfills.
Dried goods such as rice, pasta, maize products, cereal products, flour, chips, snacks and seeds supplement hominy chop, a byproduct of maize milling, in the group’s animal feed formula.
To reduce food waste, which has significant environmental, social and economic implications, the group applies a hierarchical approach.
“Our biggest efforts go into preventing food waste and losses before they occur,” Sanjeev Raghubir, the head of sustainability and CSI for the Shoprite Group, said.
It did that by reviewing its ordering, replenishment and ranging processes, using technology and data analytics to identify food waste hot spots.
“Secondly, any surplus food which is still fit for human consumption, is donated to registered beneficiary organisations. Over the past financial year, the donations impacted 544 beneficiary organisations including community centres, disability care, aftercare facilities, shelter, old age homes, orphanages and soup kitchens. This enabled us to serve 67 million meals over the period,” Raghubir said.
Only when surplus food was no longer fit for human consumption was it then assessed for animal feed eligibility and composting.
The Shoprite Group was targeting zero organic waste to landfill by 2025. This year, 72 000 tonnes of waste avoided landfill.
“By embracing this hierarchical waste management model, we have adopted industry-leading practices to reduce, reuse and repurpose waste,” Raghubir said.
BUSINESS REPORT