Countdown has announced its Sustainability Wrap for 2022, where its progress towards the commitments promised by the enterprise is reported. The report specifically addresses the company’s effort for the year, which ended on the 30th of June 2022.
Countdown donated $7.4 million of food and funds to those in need, removed 58.3 tonnes of saturated fat, sugar, and salt from Own Brand products, and diverted 73 percent of waste from landfill. However, the focus of the sustainability movement is ongoing and entails not only the environment but also the welfare of the staff.
“To be a truly sustainable business, we need a successful team. We are committed to delivering policies and driving practices that make Countdown an inclusive, safe, and welcoming workplace. We’ve trained 5,502 team members in our ‘I am Here’ programme to support mental health and positive well-being in the workplace,” said Countdown’s Managing Director, Spencer Sonn.
Sonn stated that 2022 was disrupted again by the pandemic and other challenges the industry faced. Therefore, the director revealed they are incredibly proud of the staff and enterprise's achievements towards creating a more sustainable future.
“I am incredibly proud of our achievements which come from the collective commitment of our 22,000-strong team, our local communities, and our supply partners."
Key highlights included in the report are the opening of three new Green Star sites (two distribution centres and one store), 533 Own Brand suppliers assessed through its Responsible Sourcing programme, Nine Kiwi schools given Growing for Good grants, and a staggering 63 percent reduction in emissions achieved through retrofitting and upgrading refrigeration systems across Countdown’s store network.
