Supply chain

PnP and WWF Sustainable Fisheries Partnership

Pick n Pay has signed a partnership agreement with WWF's Sustainable Fisheries Programme in a bid to support the conservation organisation's Sustainable Fisheries Programme. The three-year partnership agreement is worth a total R6.1-million and aims to restore over-exploited fish stocks to sustainably managed levels, whilst maintaining or improving the state of other stocks, through the application of an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) and reducing the impacts of destructive fishing practices to acceptable levels.

The Sustainable Fisheries Programme addresses ways in which fish are caught and how they're traded. In respect of how they're caught, they work directly with the fishing industry through SASSI; and restaurants, chefs and consumers are engaged with regards to trading.

Dr Morné du Plessis, CEO of WWF in SA, says Pick n Pay's support is likely to boost the promotion of sustainable consumerism and comes at an opportune time, with the revised SASSI list having recently been released.

"Consumers have realised that they wield enormous power in driving the way natural resources are utilised. The incredibly positive response from the public and retailers to the new SASSI list shows that people want to make ethical choices firmly based in scientific research."

Download the new SASSI list below.
Read the SASSi Business Guide to Sustainable Seafood.
Or download the SASSI Recipe Book.
Also read about Pick n Pay's 2015 commitments in the Q&A below.

Longmeadow Distribution Centre

Pick n Pay now has a new home for distribution: Longmeadow in Gauteng. The Longmeadow Distribution Centre is the company's blueprint centralised distribution centre, and currently services 307 stores, located in Gauteng, Free State, North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Botswana, including the emerging market franchises and the Hypermarkets.

The Grocery Distribution Centre is now an enormous 65 000 square metres, the equivalent of nine soccer fields. In addition, there is a Perishables Distribution Centre of 35 000 square metres. Beyond technological advances and the logistical achievements, it is the benefit to customers that remains top of mind. Nick Badminton, CEO of PnP, said: "For the hundreds of thousands of shoppers who pass through our doors every day, the most significant benefits of centralised distribution have included the improved availability of stock, lower prices and a streamlined ordering process which has freed up our store staff to spend more of their time concentrating on shopper engagement.

But the purpose of the distribution centre is also to reduce PnP's environmental impact, and these sustainability measures have been built in from scratch. As South Africa's largest food retailer, Pick n Pay is committed to minimising its environmental impact by decreasing carbon emissions, improving energy and water efficiency and lessening its impact on the environment.

Says Bronwen Rohland, director of sustainability: "Longmeadow is just another example of how Pick n Pay is operationalising sustainability within the company, and all of these goals have been incorporated into the design, construction and operation of Longmeadow, making it one of the greenest facilities of its type in the world."

Twelve major green initiatives have been implemented within the grocery extension, focusing on energy management, water management, refrigeration and the physical materials used for the building. Examples of these green initiatives include the following:

Daylight harvesting - the groceries warehouse roof lights and south lights provide natural lighting and reduce the required daytime electrical lighting by 50%. Internal lights have motion sensors with dimming and energy-saving lamps.
Photo Voltaic roof mounted cells are being implemented for the Groceries Battery Charging and External lighting and signage. These cells are charged using solar energy, thereby reducing the use of grid electricity, providing savings on costs and environmental impact.
Waterless urinals have been installed in the grocery extension, which rely on the use of chemicals to keep clean and hygienic.
Electronic food-safety Geberit taps have been installed in the Deli kitchen which only switch on when needed to prevent excessive water loss.
Geysers are fitted with timers to switch off during daylight hours and will rely on solar heating. This reduces the need for grid electricity to heat water during the day.

To read about all the green initiatives at the Longmeadow Distribution Centre, download the PDF below.