Kaufland Romania has received the sustainability certificate from CHEP

Kaufland Romania was awarded the sustainability certificate by CHEP. The supply chain of the company is therefore certified as one of the most sustainable supply chains in the country. In this way, Kaufland becomes one of the leaders of the transition towards the circular economy of the FMCG industry in Romania.

This new certification proves the commitment and the contribution of the company to protecting the environment.

In 2020, Kaufland managed to reduce its CO2 emissions by 1258.78 tons, representing the equivalent amount of CO2 produced by a truck in approximately 1,149,524 km. At the same time, the retailer reduced the amount of debris it produced by 103,764 kg, this representing the daily amount of debris generated by 79,734 Europeans. The CHEP sustainability certificate also proves the avoidance of felling 1,087,742 dm³ of wood, approximately 1050 trees.

This result was achieved after implementing the CHEP services for reusing pallets for transportation of products by renting. 

Between January and December 2020, Kaufland Romania used over 1,300,000 CHEP pallets and therefore significantly avoided the consumption of natural resources. In this way, the CO2 emissions were reduced by 56% in comparison with using conventional pallets, 72% less wood was used and 77% less debris were generated. By using the blue CHEP pallets instead of conventional pallets, less wood is used and less CO2 and debris are generated.

The reduction of the CO2 emissions and of the amount of generated debris are essential for protecting the climate and Kaufland made a commitment to integrate sustainability in all its actions.

For granting this certificate, the calculations were made using the RDC IS014044 methodology according to the European study Life Cycle Analysis, by comparing the sustainable model of reusing pallets for transportation of products by renting. 

Life Cycle Analysis is an evaluation method of the impact of a product on the environment during its life cycle.

Having an over 60 years long experience, CHEP provides distribution and reuse solutions and offers a pallets rental system that aims to make the logistics chain more efficient and sustainable. The CHEP pallet reuse system by renting is based on the fundamental principle of the circular economy. The pallets are inspected and repaired on a regular basis and 100% of the wood used for their production originates from sustainably certified forests. Thanks to their premium quality, these pallets are 10 times more resistant than the conventional ones.

Kaufland Romania constantly invests in sustainable solutions and in 2020 was awarded the title “The most sustainable company in Romania” for the third time in a row. The award was granted by CSR Index, the only ranking of this kind in Romania. It is based on an independent analysis of the companies in Romania, conducted on the basis of a series of international parameters, depending on their level of involvement in the fields of sustainability and social responsibility.

The company is constantly involved in actions for protecting the environment and committed to support and contribute to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Organisation (UNO), which include Life on Land, Climate Action and Responsible Consumption and Production.