Recycling waste from our stores
We recycle almost all of our store waste from our UK stores including cardboard, plastic, and hangers through our new centralised recycling plant at Thrapston; effectively making our UK distribution network carbon neutral.
We estimate that in a year, we will have
- Recycled 56,000,000 hangers, equivalent to 57,435 cubic metres of hangers
- Recycled 14,000 tonnes of cardboard in a 21-day closed loop system to make the paper carrier bags we use in store
- Cut 21,576 lorry trips to our stores
- Reduced road use by 160,525 miles
- Saved 27,869 gallons of fuel
- Saved 238,000 trees per year
- Saved 1,800 tonnes of oil per year
- Ensured our UK distribution network is effectively carbon neutral*
What’s next?
We’re exploring whether we can turn our recycled hangers into plastic pallets for transport or to use as bread trays for our sister company Allied Bakeries, part of the Associated British Foods family.
We’re evaluating similar recycling schemes for our stores in the Republic of Ireland and Spain
*calculated using protocols from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Carbon Trust and PAS 2050