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44 2014 Registration Document
Social responsibility
2
Action plans
The Group is planning to extend the initiative to all countries by 2017.
In France, a working group has drawn up a road map describing all the
levers to optimise packaging:
■
defining packaging rules for Carrefour products;
■
launching 34 optimisations in different areas (reducing packaging at
source, mineral inks, phthalates, optimised recycling, FSC certification,
sorting pictograms); 11 of these optimisations (representing 166 items)
are available in store aisles as of the first quarter of 2015 with a
procurement gain of €1.5 million in one year;
■
adding sorting instructions to 1,900 packagings currently in store
aisles;
■
creating a form on packaging characteristics for suppliers to fill out
as well as providing informational materials for them;
■
working with the design teams to assess 10 proposed innovations.
2.2.2.7
Reducing the environmental
footprint
In addition to itsWaste Reduction Plan (Antigaspi), Carrefour is continuing
programmes undertaken as part of its commitment to fight climate change
and protect the environment.
◗
Air, water and soil pollution
The Carrefour group’s sales and distribution activities release low levels
of emissions into the air, water and soil, apart from greenhouse gas
emissions. The initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions
are described on the previous pages.
Equipment operating on fossil fuels that generate emissions (dust or
smoke) such as generators, compressors and condensers are equipped
with recovery systems or filters. Given the store activities, the wastewater
leaving sites do not carry major pollutants. Wastewater treatment and
recycling systems have been introduced in some countries.
Carrefour service stations are equipped with facilities designed to prevent
environmental risks and unpleasant odours, including:
■
double-bottom tanks and concrete storage tanks;
■
systems designed to recover vapour from petrol storage tanks and
deposits when tanks are filled;
■
a braking system and fill valves to avoid overfilling and leaks, which
contaminate soil;
■
tight seals on the hose between tank and petrol pump to avoid ground
contamination;
■
adaptors on petrol hoses and leak-detection equipment on tanks;
■
hard paving around the filling area to avoid fuel infiltration into the
ground;
■
decanting systems to avoid contamination of the sanitation network,
and a system to detect water contamination by hydrocarbons.
The Group constantly monitors the regulatory compliance of its facilities
and closely tracks fuel inputs and outputs to control the risk of leakage.
◗
Eliminating plastic bags
Carrefour stopped handing out free plastic bags in 2012 in consolidated
stores in all its countries except Argentina and Brazil, where the process
is underway.
In anticipation of future European regulations, the Group is working to
identify alternatives to the plastic bags currently used for loose purchases
of fruits and vegetables.
2.2.3
The biodiversity protection programme
The fifth report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) makes it clear: human activity has caused climate changes. These
changes will lead to a loss of biodiversity, food resource problems, ocean
acidification and a change in the services provided by nature on a daily
basis. Carrefour has therefore decided to take action, in its sphere of
influence, to protect biodiversity and ensure that nature continues to
produce the resources that mankind needs. This challenge, together
with efforts to combat waste, is regularly discussed with WWF France,
Group partner, as well as with other NGOs and companies committed
to protecting the oceans, marine resources, forests and, more generally,
biodiversity.
2.2.3.1
Carrefour product quality and safety
◗
The quality approach
Carrefour demands quality in each phase of a product’s life and in the
operation of its stores worldwide. The high standards include control
processes that cover all issues of health, safety, hygiene and quality to
guarantee optimal health and safety.
Processes exist at all Group levels and are constantly updated and
improved:
■
the entity or country self-monitors its own processes, checking
routines, registrations and reporting on quality/safety indicators. For
example, specifications that bind suppliers are monitored by the quality
departments at the country level. Factory audits and management of
non-compliance are also handled at the country level;