SPAR has signed the UK Plastics Pact. The UK Plastics Pact is a collaborative initiative which started in 2018 and aims to create a circular economy for plastics. It brings together suppliers and retail businesses from across the entire plastics value chain with UK government, NGOs and trade organisations to tackle the scourge of plastic waste. This demonstrates SPAR’s clear commitment to reducing our use of plastics and ensuring a more sustainable future.
- Our soft drinks bottles and plastic trays have an average of 46% and 59% recycled content.
- We’ve removed plastic wrap for multi-sale of cans and tins on shelf
- Wooden sporks in our ready meals salads and recycled plastic sporks are used in our fresh fruit pots
- We use the recycling information logos called ‘OPRL logos’ on all SPAR Brand products
- We’ve removed plastic from our teabags and coffee pods
- Over 524 tonnes of virgin plastic removed and quantity of plastic reduced since joining the WRAP UK Plastics Pact
Read more here: SPAR Sustainability.
We have joined the Queen’s Green Canopy for a 2-year partnership with The Tree Council. Together with the other Jubilee Partners we will plant 35,000 trees and 7km of hedgerow. In addition, SPAR Scotland planted 100 trees in 2021 in partnership with the Green Earth Appeal.
SPAR UK is also supporting the international brand’s 90th anniversary celebrations by giving back to communities and planting 12,500 trees all over England with leading organisation One Tree Planted. The SPAR One Tree Planted campaign involves SPAR countries from across the globe, with all funds raised going towards the planting of trees. The aim is to raise as much as possible to uplift local communities, reduce environmental impact and help to build a sustainable future for all.
You can read more about this here: One Tree Planted Campaign
At SPAR UK, we cut back on food waste by using Too Good to Go and Gander (NI).
So far with support from Too Good to Go, we have prevented 133,449 meals going to landfill waste in one year across the estate. This is equivalent to 334 tonnes of CO2eq emissions saved. In Northern Ireland, Gander has saved 529,879 meals which equals 430 tonnes of CO2eq emissions.
Blakemore Retail has signed up all 275 of its SPAR convenience stores across England and Wales to the Too Good To Go app.
You can read more about this here: Too good to go in 275 stores
In June 2022, for World Ocean Day, nine SPAR stores by the coast organised community beach clean ups in partnership with Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) as part of the Million Mile Clean initiative.
Collaborating with SAS, an environmental marine company who organise coastal clean ups, the Million Mile Clean is an initiative that brings communities together and cleans several miles of the coast.
SPAR stores started taking part in the Coastal Clean-up initiative in June 2022 for World Ocean Day and will continue taking part in clean ups into the summer months.
Read more on SPAR's Coastal Clean Up Initiative
- In October 2021, SPAR UK England, Scotland and Wales switched to 100% renewable electricity (REGO (Renewable Energy Generation Origin)) in October 2021
- LED lighting replacement scheme implemented
- Hybrid refrigeration on new fleet reducing use of red diesel
- Improved refrigeration systems
- Continuous investment in HGV fleet
- Solar PV Array in some of the new developments
- Electric Vehicle/ HGV Refrigeration
- Greener car fleet
- Motion sensors implemented to low occupancy areas
- Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) installed within new warehouse
- Heat reclaim system currently being installed within new stores
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