Our environment
We're reducing emissions, making recycling more accessible, developing green spaces, and much more...
An important part of our purpose is looking after our local environment. This applies to everything we do – from the way our outlets are designed, to the volunteering projects our colleagues undertake.
We have an environment group, which has representatives from across our businesses, reviewing our activities and identifying ways to lessen our environmental impact.
We’re now registered with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which means Lincolnshire Co-op is committed to putting in place targets to reduce emissions across our business.
We will be developing a set of meaningful goals to reduce our direct emissions from activities such as gas and electricity use, vehicle use, and refrigeration, as well as reducing emissions within our supply chain.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is internationally recognised, with more than 3,000 businesses signed up to reduce their emissions in line with climate science, including retailers like The Co-op Group, leisure brands like Adidas, and financial organisations like Nationwide Building Society.
Find out more about what we’re doing:
Our outlets are designed to be sustainable. 28 sites have electric charging points, 30 sites use CO2 refrigeration, 41 sites have water refill stations, and nearly all of our food stores now have fridges with doors – which reduces energy consumption by around 27%.
Find out more about our environmental features.
We aim to source products and materials and deliver our services with a conscious consideration for the environment.
We’ve begun investing in electric vehicles, our bakery uses 100% sustainable palm oil, and we also offer eco alternatives for customers – from reusable coffee cups, to LifeArt Earthcare coffins, which use 80% fewer trees than a traditional coffin.
Find out more about responsible sourcing.
We work hard to care for green spaces in our local area.
We organise community clean-ups and we’ve helped to develop wildlife habitats, too – whether that’s outside our outlets, or within our very own Co-op Wood.
Find out more about green spaces.
While making recycling easier for our customers, we’re also working hard to reduce the volume of waste we produce.
We have many recycling schemes in our outlets – including soft plastic bins in 90 of our food stores, clothes banks at 47 sites, and battery recycling points at all food stores. Our carrier bags are 100% compostable, and 100% of Co-op own-brand packaging is easily recyclable.
Find out more about recycling and waste reduction.