At Alliance Boots we encourage our people to do more towards reducing waste and increasing recycling. We want our people not just to recycle the waste they are responsible for, but also to look for ways to take waste out of the system. This is how we endeavour to create a truly sustainable business.
Total waste produced by the Group for the year ended 31 March 2011 was 70,150 tonnes, which is a decrease against the previous year. The proportion of this waste that was recycled remained broadly in line with last year’s level of c.53% for the year ended 31 March 2011.
Both Boots UK and Boots Ireland have made great efforts this year to optimise the size and print run of Boots UK and Boots Ireland’s Christmas 2010 Gift Guides to support our overall group recycling targets and to minimise total paper requirements.
Despite adding additional pages this year, Boots UK used 464 tonnes less paper than last year, as a result of the change in size and optimised print run. In addition, Boots Ireland, despite doubling the number of pages, only required a modest increase.
Concerned by medical products’ ‘footprint on the environment’, Alliance Healthcare France has launched a unique eco-friendly package of services for pharmacists. Three services are available:
1. Disposal of self-treating patients’ infectious medical waste:
Alliance Healthcare France provides pharmacists with yellow containers (50-litre plastic boxes or collection stand), which are then collected and destroyed by a specialised sub-contractor, in line with regulation. We have worked to secure the lowest prices, encouraging pharmacists to commit to this ecological and health measure.
2. Disposal of chemicals (from in-pharmacy pharmaceutical preparation)
Alliance Healthcare France provides pharmacists with 30-litre plastic containers that are then collected and destroyed by a specialised sub-contractor, in line with regulation. Here again, the price and ready-to use solution are key to ensure that pharmacists do not eliminate any hazardous product outside the legal framework.
3. Drugs and other products past their use-by date
Alliance Healthcare France undertakes to collect these products and destroy them, under bailiff’s watch and with supply of a bailiff’s report. This encourages pharmacists not to dispose of such products through household waste channels.
For the year ended 31 March
| 2011*
tonnes | 2011
% | 2010
tonnes | 2010
% |
| Landfill or incinerated | 32,815 | 47% | 33,231 | 46% |
| Recycled | 37,335 | 53% | 38,745 | 54% |
| 70,150 | | 71,976 | |
We are striving to develop projects that will reduce the overall amount of waste we generate, rather than just recycling more of what we produce. Initiatives to reduce waste creation include using ‘lean to sustainability’ thinking at the start of the product development process and building in waste reduction criteria as part of product range reviews prior to relaunch.
We consider waste reduction at all stages of the product lifecycle including raw material and supply chain waste as well as minimising the potential for waste at the consumer use phase and at the end of the products’ life.
By division
For the year ended 31 March
| 2011*
tonnes | 2010
tonnes |
| Health & Beauty | 47,133 | 47,747 |
| Pharmaceutical Wholesale | 16,084 | 18,176 |
| Contract Manufacturing & Corporate | 6,933 | 6,053 |
| 70,150 | 71,976 |