Energy consumption is one of the main environmental impacts of our business activities, so that optimising the use of this resource has been given special importance. To that end, operational improvements and more efficient technologies are introduced and we are increasingly producing our own energy from renewable sources. Control of energy consumption is monitored by a specialist company, which analyses relevant data and proposes measures to rationalise consumption.

In new stores, the most advantageous technical/economic solutions are implemented (for example, cold production and retention systems, air conditioning systems, lighting, baking department ovens, etc).

Sonae encourages its suppliers to carry out their business activities with respect for environmental standards and best practices by:

Sonae was the first company in the Retail Sector (2005) to win environmental certification of a Hypermarket – Cascais Continente and a Logistics Warehouse – Azambuja Warehouse, according to the ISO 14001 standard. At the end of 2009, the following premises were certified:  

Sonae was the first company in the Retail Sector (2007) to win corporate environmental certification. 

Water Quality and Consumption Control

Effluents

Goods with a high stock turnover are delivered to Sonae warehouses. Supply vehicles follow well defined routes and timetables for store deliveries.

The use of modern and sophisticated management software with clear efficiency gains (transporting a greater volume of goods per kilometre) and the use of vehicles, which are increasingly more technologically and environmentally advanced, allow a reduction in fuel consumption and polluting emissions to the atmosphere.

Sonae led the development and introduction of the “Single Crate” into its supply chain and into the retail sector in Portugal:

Sonae favours the reduction of waste at source, and the recovery, reuse and recycling of waste generated, thus contributing towards saving natural resources, reducing waste deposited in land fill and towards complying with the recycling goals defined for Portugal.

As a result of these efforts, around 75% of waste generated in our premises is sent for recycling, reuse or recovery. 

To that end, various projects and initiatives have been implemented. Find out more*

- Paper, Cardboard and Plastic.

Cardboard and Plastic (film and polystyrene foam) waste generated in all stores and warehouses are separated and sent for recycling. 

Wood packaging waste from stores and warehouses is reused, recycled or used to generate energy. 

All urban solid waste generated in Sonae premises are sent to town council waste treatment centres in their respective areas, thus ensuring that the waste is appropriately treated. 

Sonae is working with those town councils which have equipment for making use of the organic part of USW, namely composting units, modifying its premises and training its employees to separate the organic waste, sending these to town council treatment centres, thus contributing towards reducing the pressure on landfill sites.   

WEEE is duly collected (from customers and premises) and sent for recycling to authorized companies.  

Waste oils from the operation and maintenance of equipment are sent to appropriately licensed companies for treatment:

The collection and dispatch for treatment of waste cooking oils used in stores is carried out by an accredited company.

These are collected from our customers and premises and sent for recycling to properly authorised companies. Income derived from this is donated to the AMI.  

A programme has been implemented for collection and dispatch for recycling/treatment of used light bulbs from Sonae premises to a properly authorised company.

SONAE was a pioneer when in 1998 it installed receptacles in its stores for used batteries. In 2002, legislation was published on this issue, but it was only in 2004 that receptacles for used batteries were generally made available in the country. 

Sonae makes available and encourages its customers to use APED reusable shopping bags (made from recyclable plastic). After the customer has bought his first shopping bag, he can exchange it for a new one at no cost in any of the company’s stores that is a member of APED. Recently, the availability of Sonae reusable shopping bags has been extended by being offered to customers in food retail stores.

Developed in partnership with an important supplier of coat hangers for textiles, the goal of this project is to avoid deposit in landfill of coat hangers left by our customers at checkout counters.

Sonae joined the “Petões” pilot project, carried out by Recopet in association with AMARSUL, the goal of which is to sort, collect and send for recycling, packaging made from PET – bottles and containers for mineral water, cold drinks etc.

All Modelo and Continente stores located in those areas covered by AMARSUL have a "PETÃO" – a special container for depositing this type of packaging.

Sonae periodically communicates, both internally to its employees and externally to other stakeholders, progress made on its environmental performance. 

See the company’s Environmental Report here.