Grocery waste and energy management
Veolia currently provides seven out of the top ten grocery stores with waste and recycling services as well as obtaining energy contracts with two of those seven. Through decarbonisation, optimising resources and de-pollution, Veolia has been assisting grocery retailers in reducing food waste and energy consumption for over 15 years.
At Veolia we can provide customers with multiple services to optimise solutions such as; waste composition analysis, battery recycling solutions, turning bakery waste into animal feed and much more. In addition, Veolia is aware that sustainable waste management is a huge topic for grocery retailers, and is at the core of what we have achieved over the past years.
We want to expand on this service by collaborating with retailers on energy solutions such as combined heat and power programmes (CHP). We also want Grocery retailers to understand that we can offer them much more than what they might think. Our solutions can provide you with designated project managers to help you with your water, material operations and facilities management issues and goals for a sustainable future.
Circular Economy
Veolia conducts detailed waste composition analysis for customers, ensuring proper waste stream separation and categorisation. This enables optimal recycling potential, with successful circular economy applications including the production of low-carbon fertilisers and sustainable animal bedding materials for agricultural use.
Decarbonisation
Through comprehensive Combined Heat & Power (CHP) implementation programmes, Veolia enables supermarkets to achieve significant carbon emission reductions of up to 30%. These innovative energy solutions accelerate progress toward Net Zero goals, providing sustainable and efficient power management across retail operations.
Water Conservation and Treatments
Veolia partners with grocery retailers to create, implement, and maintain advanced water management systems. Our cutting-edge technologies deliver customised solutions for both urban and rural locations, ensuring efficient water conservation and wastewater treatment while meeting specific operational requirements and environmental standards.
Veolia can help reduce grocery retail stores' waste through a number of environmental activities and recycling tactics. Through our commercial food waste collection solutions, we can provide your business with safe, reliable and legal treatment to help reduce the environmental impact your business has on the planet. In addition, Veolia collects hazardous waste. Hazardous waste must be handled using specialist teams and equipment to mitigate damage to human and environmental health. With our specialist teams and services, supermarkets can benefit from this service.
Services to help achieve better recycling include:
- Waste audits
- Packaging recycling programmes
- Food waste recycling and composting
- WEEE: electronic waste disposal
- On site waste segregation solutions
- Plastic packaging recycling
- Bespoke solutions
With a growing opportunity for Veolia to expand into helping grocery retailers with energy solutions it is a great time to reach out to our team for the best cost effective energy saving solutions.
Cost effective energy solutions that we can provide include:
- Energy efficiency assessments
- Renewable energy implementation
- Combined heat and power systems (CHP)
- Efficient LED lighting
Maintaining facilities in all sectors is extremely important, especially when involving foods and consumer goods. Veolia can offer multiple facilities management solutions to grocery retailers to help decrease costs and carbon footprints.
Facility management solutions include:
- Refrigeration system maintenance and optimisation
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) optimisation
- Helping with building management systems
By providing cost effective and efficient energy solutions, Veolia enables the grocery retail industry to meet its Net Zero targets.
Services to help with decarbonisation and energy output include:
- Solar PV installations
- Implementation of low-carbon technologies
- Implementing more effective heating and air conditioning systems
See how we are helping customers decarbonise across a range of sectors
Ensuring the correct water treatments take place in the grocery retail industry is vital towards the operational costs and environmental sustainability of the organisation. The correct water solutions can reduce water consumption and enhance sustainability.
Services we can provide to help with water conservation and wastewater:
- Grey water recycling solutions for non-potable water
- Water usage audits and monitoring systems to identify where inefficiencies are
- Specialised treatment for high-organic-load wastewater from food processing
- Compliance management with local water regulations
- Water quality management for food preparation areas
of supermarkets in the UK think food waste management is the most important sustainable practice.
tonnes of food waste per year is converted into renewable energy by Veolia.
Supermarkets have decreased their carbon footprint by 70% due to Veolia's food waste collection service
Tesco works with Veolia to help schools across the UK with recycling
Grocery Retail Portfolio
Working with 10 out of the top 12 grocery retailers in the UK, Veolia demonstrates its expertise and dedication in helping these organisations achieve their Net Zero goals. Each project showcases our commitment to social value, sustainability, and our ability to provide bespoke solutions for any grocery retailer's environmental challenges.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does Veolia do?
Veolia is a multinational company that specialises in helping businesses with environmental solutions, focusing particularly on water and waste treatment, waste collection and management and energy generation and distribution. But that’s not all we do, at Veolia we offer Facilities Management services, specialist waste solutions and waste water treatment. All of these solutions can be tailored to your business' needs, especially within the Grocery Retail sector. Choosing Veolia for your resource management will ensure that your business has a cost-effective and long lasting solution to a sustainable future.
How can a decrease in food waste help the environment?
Annually, the UK alone produces around 9.5 million tons of food waste. With businesses, particularly in the food industry being a main contributor to this, it is essential that they start to take action ahead of the Net Zero 2050 deadline. By reducing your food waste, it can help the environment in a number of ways. Firstly, when food waste ends up in landfill, the waste decomposes anaerobically, producing a strong greenhouse gas; methane. With Veolia, we can provide numerous services to help reduce and recycle your food waste, which results in the decrease of methane produced by your business.
How has Veolia helped the retail industry in the past?
Veolia currently holds a dominant position in the grocery retail industry by having contracts with seven out of the ten leading supermarkets in the UK. We are working with popular supermarket chains such as Tesco with their energy output by implementing Combined Heat and Power programmes (CHP). You can read how we have helped supermarkets with their environmental solutions on our case study page.
How much food is wasted in supermarkets?
Over 100 UK retailers signed a pledge to reduce their food waste by 2030. With that deadline fast approaching, it is vital that supermarkets take action. Supermarkets contribute the most to food waste in the UK which contributes to the 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gases produced every year. To reduce this, supermarkets need to focus on their waste management, energy output and facility management processes. At Veolia we can provide the correct services to help reduce waste in supermarkets.
How can supermarkets be more sustainable?
Supermarkets can implement comprehensive recycling programmes with Veolia's help. Covering services such as energy efficiency and food waste management, we have a team of experts that can provide you with the best service possible.
How will Simpler Recycling affect supermarkets?
Simpler Recycling came into effect in March 2025 and will have a significant effect on how supermarkets run their sustainable practices. The regulation will force supermarkets to separate their recycling and food waste from their general waste. Benefits of supermarkets adopting this scheme will include reduced waste disposal costs, increased recycling rates, cost savings and improved sustainability credentials.
At Veolia, we want to keep up to date with the latest laws and regulations around recycling. For more information on the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy, please feel free to get in touch.