Healthcare business Alliance Boots has revealed that it is close to meeting a 70 per cent recycling rate in its business.
The retailer and drugs manufacturer recycled or recovered energy from 68.9 per cent of its waste representing 50,000 tonnes of material in 2012/13.
According to its new corporate social responsibility (CSR) report for the year ending March 2013, this was an improvement on the 64.5 per cent seen the year before.
Alliance Boots also managed to reduce the overall worldwide volume of waste it generated by 2.2 per cent from 74,100 tonnes in 2012 to 72,500 tonnes in 2013.
The company said that it was aiming to take a holistic approach to product sustainability embracing the whole product lifestyle from concept and design through to customer use and final disposal of packaging and waste product.
Alliance Boots also revealed that it was able to reduce its CO2 emissions from product delivery by 2.1 per cent to 137,900 tonnes from 140,900 tonnes in 2012.
It has done this, and will continue to investigate, driver training, purchasing of more fuel efficient vehicles and optimising delivery routes, to reduce emissions.
However, its energy use increased with CO2 emissions from this source reaching 287,100 tonnes from 285,500 tonnes in 2012 mainly due to cold weather in its key UK market.
Alliance Boots chair of the social responsibilities committee Ornella Barra said: “Across Alliance Boots we recognise that working in partnership with stakeholders enables us to make a bigger positive impact and that together we can achieve more.
“This is in line with the clear vision we have for the future of our group and the key role that CSM has to play.“
www.allianceboots.com/CorporateSocialResponsibilityReport2012-13
