Grandiose Supermarkets continues to champion sustainability

Plastic ban, recycled plastic trolleys, efficient energy systems, and more, Grandiose Supermarkets led the way ahead of the ban on Single-use plastic.

Among the industry's leaders in sustainability, Grandiose Supermarkets remain at the forefront. A change ‘maker’, not an ‘adopter’, the corporate giant was the first retail chain to completely replace single-use plastic bags at checkout with free-of-cost paper bags back in 2018. Since pioneering the movement, Grandiose Supermarkets have saved more than 15 million bags (including both in-store and e-commerce sales) which would otherwise end up in landfills and pollute waterways.   

In addition to banning single-use plastic shopping bags, Grandiose has heavily invested in shopping trolleys made of recycled ocean plastic. The recyclers utilize ghost fishing nets and ropes which when left at sea cause pollution through toxic gas emissions, statistically killing 100,000 marine animals each year. The materials are made of polypropylene (PP) and every kilogram of the thermoplastic equates to 2.5kg of CO2, which, when recycled, is reduced by 80 % by Grandiose Supermarkets.

Supplementing their efforts to reduce the carbon footprint even further, the retail chain has employed energy-efficient machinery, technology, and store fit-outs to reduce emissions through state-of-the-art fridges, freezers, and storage. Having streamlined operational processes by sourcing and supporting locally grown products, carbon by-products produced through supply chain logistics are also negated. Other measures include having an efficient lighting system which deploys LED lighting and implementing occupancy sensors and day/night sensors to reduce electricity wastage.

Since its inception, Grandiose works to continually add more initiatives to its extensive sustainability portfolio to amplify their True Family Value promise. While these practices make a positive contribution to the environment, they also encourage consumers to partake in the movement, and shop and consume sustainably. This is furthered by hosting child-friendly workshops by Grandiose to ensure environmentally conscious values are inculcated well in their formative years and the principles of recycling are integrated into their daily lives.

Grandiose CEO, James Scott, is set to extend sustainable morals through more initiatives set to launch in 2022, and says, “The UAE is slowly transitioning towards a greener and cleaner future and the vision of Grandiose Supermarkets is attuned with the region’s target to achieve a Net Zero on carbon emissions by 2050. The responsibility of being environmentally conscious rests on all of us but more so on retail chains and corporations for the significant contribution we can make to pull the region out of ‘environmental vulnerability.”

He further said, “The ban on single-use plastic is imperative to modulate operations and progress the future towards a circular approach. Once corporations see the ecological sense in these economic measures, they will not just adopt the change but also embrace it.” 

Source: Zawya