Centra invests €10 million in sustainability initiatives in nine months
At Centra we are committed to investing in our planet and making our stores and communities more environmentally friendly. This Earth Day, we are proud to announce that over nine months, we have invested over 10 million euros in energy and carbon reduction initiatives in stores on our path to net zero by 2040.
To date, over 245 Centra stores have availed of the investment, resulting in a carbon reduction of 2,017 tonnes, which is the equivalent of planting 72,899 trees or powering 1,000 homes, making Centra stores more environmentally friendly. Initiatives such as upgrading freezers and refrigeration, LED lighting retrofit, solar panels, and electronic shelf edge labels (easel), making our stores more environmentally friendly.
Two examples of stores that have achieved significant success in their sustainability journey are Smith's Centra Kinsale and Lee's Centra Pallasgreen.
Smith’s Centra Kinsale introduced sustainability initiatives including refrigeration and freezer upgrades, and LED lighting retrofit, integrated electronic shelf labels and the building fabric been upgraded to improve energy efficiency. To date they have seen a 47% reduction in carbon emissions. The store now also features bike racks, and segregated recycling bins.
Lee’s Centra Pallasgreen have also introduced refrigeration and freezer upgrades, and LED lighting retrofit, integrated electronic shelf labels and the building fabric been upgraded to improve energy efficiency. To date they have also seen a 47% reduction in carbon emissions. Additionally they are currently evaluating solar panels as the next stage of their sustainable journey.
Additionally, as part of our sustainability journey, we are committed to our packaging goals of 100% own brand packaging and deli packaging to be recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025. Currently, 97% of Centra’s own brand packaging and 92% of its deli packaging is recyclable, reusable or compostable.