Smith’s Centra Kinsale achieves significant success in their sustainability journey

This Earth Day, Smith’s Centra Kinsale are proud to announce that they have reduced carbon emissions instore by 47% following the successful implementation of several sustainability measures, supported by Centra’s €10 million investment in energy and carbon reduction. The energy saved in store is enough to power 21 homes every year going forward.

Smith’s Centra Kinsale has introduced several measures including putting doors on refrigeration units which are now running on environmentally friendly carbon neutral gas, and successfully integrating electric shelf edge labels (eSELs), which has removed the need for traditional paper label inserts across the store. The employment of this technology alone has led to a reduction of 2,800 sheets of paper annually.

Committed to their sustainability targets, Smith’s Centra Kinsale store has also invested in retrofitting new energy and cost-effective LED lighting, which use 60% less energy than standard bulbs, as well as upgrading their remote freezers. In addition to this, the store has also redeveloped the building itself, with the building fabric been upgraded to improve energy efficiency and the oil/gas boiler changed to a sustainable alternative. The store now also features bike racks, and segregated recycling bins as well as highlighting its ‘Reduced to Clear’ discounts on products close to expiry date to support its customers in the local community on their own sustainability journey.

Ian Smith, Centra Retailer, Smith’s Centra Kinsale said: “At Centra Kinsale, we are committed to working towards our sustainability targets and achieving Centra’s net zero carbon goals. Our investment in energy and carbon reduction measures in store to date has resulted in a reduction of carbon emission by 47%. This is a significant milestone for the store which we are very proud of. We will continue to implement sustainability measures across the store and are committed to reaching Net Zero by 2040.”  

As part of its sustainability journey, Centra is aiming for 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. Smith’s Centra Kinsale have introduced compostable salad bowls and soup cups, reusable knives and forks and new compostable sandwich wrapping paper.

To date, over 245 Centra stores have availed of the investment, resulting in a carbon reduction of 2,017 tonnes, which is the equivalent to planting 72,899 trees or powering 1,000 homes, making Centra stores more environmentally friendly.