We fully understand the need for collaboration by companies and NGOs in developing innovative programs in favor of sustainable uses of the world’s natural resources. Therefore, in 2016 we were invited to be among the founding members of the Mexican Alliance for Business and Biodiversity.
Water
Comprehensive plans have been developed to reduce the use of water, in addition to campaigns aimed at detecting and repairing leaks where water is used and distributed in our stores. We continue expanding our Program for Wastewater Treatment Plants; in 2016 we operated 1,058 plants. This permits the reuse of 1,701,676 m3 of water in Mexico. G4-EN10, EN22
Risk analysis was conducted on water availability and quality in our country and for our operations, thus enabling us to identify possible impact mitigation measures in the business.
According to corresponding criteria, our regional consumption is not significant, thus water sources have not been negatively affected by water catchment. G4-EN9
The efforts in Central America have focused on establishing controls and following up on expenses and use, thereby helping to attack excessive consumption problems, leaks, or spills that would have gone unnoticed due to lack of data.
Sustainable palm oil
We maintain our commitment to only use palm oil with sustainability certification in all Our Brands requiring such ingredient. Most of the products contain no palm oil in their production; only 8% of the suppliers report using sustainable oil, and 3% are currently undergoing certification. This inititiative helps to reduce the deforestation of tropical forests.
Materials
Our operation employs a wide range of material resources. The following table lists the primary materials by weight. Of these, 13% come from renewable sources and the remainder from non-renewable ones. G4-EN1
In Mexico, 5% of total plastic material consumed, contains recycled material. The plastic bags for our customers’ merchandise contain 22% post-industrial recycled material; bond paper used for printing documents and commercial flyers contains 24% post-consumption recycled material; and the sanitary paper used in all our facilities contains 60% post-consumption material. We use over 6,300 tons of recycled material in our operations. G4-EN2
Unit construction and operation management
We seek to mitigate negative impact on biodiversity stemming from the construction of new units and their subsequent operation. The policies, procedures and agreement clauses used with those involved in building stores and with developers allow us to protect biodiversity and to use natural resources in a sustainable fashion, from the moment a property is acquired to the design and building of the store by third parties. The following policies implemented are noteworthy:
- Before buying or selling any property, an environmental assessment must be conducted to learn if protected flora or fauna are present, or if there is soil or water contamination. This information will be used to determine the feasibility of the project and any mitigation and compensation measures required.
- Projects must be designed in keeping with the environmental regulations on green areas, permeable areas, use of renewable energy, and vegetation management.
- Environmental measures and compensations throughout the building process related to, among others, proper handling of waste, rescue of flora and fauna, emissions into the atmosphere, noise, and measures determined by the environmental authority.
- Third-party joint responsibility, including agreement clauses and bid guidelines for builders and suppliers to acquire authorized bank material, waste management in compliance with regulations in force, wastewater management, compliance with all responsibilities in these matters.
In 2016 we have two projects with protected species: the Bodega Aurrera Instituto Tecnológico unit, where 170 protected trees were replanted; and the Bodega Aurrera Xilitla unit where trees were replaced as required.
G4-EN11, EN12