Towards minimum waste flows and maximum recycling
Colruyt Group limits the waste streams to a minimum. We try to sell food products as much as possible, we donate any surpluses or reuse them. With regard to materials, the aim is also a maximum recycling rate.
Maximum sale of fresh food products
To prevent food waste, we strive to keep the percentage of effectively sold fresh food above 97.4 %. We want to achieve this through well thought-out stock management with sales forecasts, optimal storage and an assortment tailored to customers' needs.
of our fresh food products effectively sold in financial year 2025/26
food donated to social organisations in 2025
Unsold consumable food products
By 2025, at least 40 % of our remaining consumable but unsold products will be used for human or animal consumption. Food fit for consumption is given a new purpose in various ways.
- More and more unsold food is donated directly to various social organisations, including the Food Banks and Foodsavers.
- We are looking into how to upcycle surplus food from our largest and safest food waste streams, such as bananas, potatoes and bread.
- Bread, vegetables and fruit in particular are processed into animal feed.
Percentage of our unsold food that was used for human consumption or animal feed in 2025/26
Switch to circular economy for materials
We are strongly focused on recycling materials and raw materials. Both in the stores themselves and in the recycling centres, we insist on a good sorting process. This allows every stream to be recycled optimally.
Recycling rate in financial year 2025/26
In doing so, we go further than the law because we sort more streams than is mandatory. We reuse a number of streams - cardboard, film and hard plastics - within the circular economy by making new products from them:
- The cardboard waste of our stores is used to make strong reusable foldable boxes for our customers.
- For fruit and vegetables of our Boni private label we make dishes of our recycled cardboard.
- Film (chiefly logistics packaging and outer packaging) is recycled into new film.
- The discarded folding boxes of our Collect&Go online shopping service are ground into granulate. These granules of pure polypropylene can easily be recycled and are reused to make new folding boxes.
- Old office furniture is renovated or processed into new furniture.
- When renovating and demolishing buildings we reuse as many elements as possible ourselves or make them available to associations and charities free of charge.
