Eco-designs power a sustainability drive

• Since 2005, 12 040 tonnes of packaging has been eliminated on Auchan products
• In Poland, lighter water bottle caps saves 4.6 tonnes in plastics every year
• In France, new freezer bags have cut cardboard consumption by 33 tonnes, requiring 375 fewer transport pallets

Auchan, a French-run international retail group, has explored ways to improve its environmental performance and save energy through greener packaging and eco-design principles. A packaging programme was set up across its outlets in different countries, to exchange best practices and work on shared project developments.

For its own-brand products, Auchan introduced in 2014 Forest Stewardship Council-labelled Tetra Pak food cartons across all stores. Eco-design packaging and other measures, including new freezer bags, further showcased Auchan's sustainability drive. For example, 50 stores in France introduced an organic product range (pulses, pasta, coffee, etc.) that can self-weighed and packed, thus reducing unnecessary packaging.

Key results

Since 2005, thanks to the company's energy and sustainability measures, around 12 040 tonnes of packaging has been eliminated on Auchan brand products alone. In Poland, the introduction of lighter-grade water bottle caps has cut plastic consumption by 4.6 tonnes a year. And the 2012 introduction of new freezer bag packaging in France has cut cardboard consumption by 33 tonnes, and resulted in 375 fewer transport pallets.