The Jumbo supermarket in Sintra has been awarded environmental certification by Bureau Veritas Portugal, a distinction that recognizes the adoption of an environmental management system that meets the requirements of the ISO 14001 standard. This is the 11th Auchan store to receive this seal in Portugal.
To guarantee this certification, the store had to align its procedures with the group's best environmental practices: reducing electricity consumption, increasing the volume of waste sent for recycling, training employees, decreasing the use of plastics, eliminating disposable products, among other measures.
In 2018, the Jumbo store in Sintra achieved a 9% reduction in electricity consumption, 74% of waste sent for recycling, 5,4 tons of waste collected at the customer waste collection point (cooking oils, light bulbs, batteries, ink cartridges, electrical equipment), the installation of an "urban garden" in partnership with Jungle Greens in the parking lot, reducing the impact of transportation to zero kilometers, partnerships with local producers in Sintra (two pastry shops and three fruit and vegetable vendors), 900 items in the Organic Market, all with paper packaging, and 100% of employees with environmental training.
Beyond these results, the Auchan store in Sintra was built with environmental sustainability in mind. For example, the roof structure uses laminated wood from sustainable forests, making it lighter and offering both aesthetic and economic benefits. Furthermore, the food refrigeration system uses solutions with reduced global warming potential, namely so-called "natural gases". The store's interior lighting also received special attention, aiming for better quality (natural) light with the lowest possible energy consumption. The installed solution combines natural sunlight through solar tubes and high-efficiency fixtures with an automatic regulation system. Outside, all lighting uses LED lamps, and the parking lot pavements are made of porous concrete, allowing rainwater infiltration while maintaining ideal circulation conditions.
“ Consumers increasingly value environmental protection and our social performance, but also the transparent way we communicate, our local presence, and how we present our products and services, ” says Rita Cruz, Head of Sustainability and Environment at Auchan Retail Portugal, regarding the strengthening of the brand's environmental policies.
The certification process for Auchan stores in Portugal began in 2008 and, currently, in addition to the Jumbo store in Sintra, the corporate environmental management system is also implemented in the stores in Alfragide, Almada, Gaia, Gondomar, Amadora, Viseu, Aveiro, Figueira da Foz, Torres Vedras and Setúbal. This group of stores represents 50% of Auchan Retail Portugal's sales volume.
