Central Food Retail Group clinches win at ESGBusiness Awards 2024 for food surplus management
Its food reduction programme prioritises food waste management by offering discounts and donation projects.
Central Food Retail Group won the Waste Reduction Award - Thailand at the ESG Business Awards 2024 for its initiative to minimise food waste effectively.
This initiative optimises unsold products by offering discounts on items nearing their expiration dates. If it remains unsold, the company donates them to local communities or repurposes them as pet food.
Food surplus management
In line with its "Green & Sustainable Retail" ethos, Central Food Retail Group has set an ambitious target to increase its waste diversion rate by 15% by 2024. This objective is part of the company’s broader commitment to establish itself as a leader in sustainability within the Asian retail sector. This commitment is reinforced by a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030, underscoring the company’s dedication to fostering a sustainable future.
Central Food Retail Group has established a dedicated food waste corner in its stores, offering discounts of 30% to 50% on nearly expired items, including fresh produce, dairy products, baked goods, and other perishable goods. These high-quality products remain safe for consumption, encouraging customers to make purchases before expiration, which in turn reduces food waste and reinforces the company’s commitment to sustainability.
To further support this initiative, the company has taken its efforts a step further by collaborating with Smartway, a company that supports retailers in their fight against food waste, to begin testing Smartway’s innovative solutions for digitised food waste management in five of its Tops stores located in Bangkok and surrounding areas. This partnership leverages Smartway's AI-driven solutions to help store teams identify products nearing expiration more efficiently. The cutting-edge approach not only aims to reduce waste but also enhances the overall shopping experience by enabling customers to find discounted, nearly expired items more easily, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and customer-friendly retail environment.
Driving sustainable food practices
A vital aspect of Central Food Retail Group's sustainability efforts is the Food Surplus Donation Project. This initiative facilitates the donation of surplus food to local foundations, such as the Scholars of Sustenance Foundation (SOS) in Thailand, ensuring that it is put to good use within the community. The company also collaborates with Jaikla, a startup that repurposes unsold food into insect feed, which is then transformed into pet treats available at Tops supermarkets.
This redistribution of surplus food not only provides nutritious meals to those in need but also diminishes the environmental impact associated with food waste.
Through these efforts, Central Food Retail Group has provided millions of meals to individuals and families facing food insecurity, thereby alleviating hunger and reinforcing its commitment to social responsibility and sustainability within the communities it serves.
The comprehensive approach to food waste reduction and community support exemplifies Central Food Retail Group’s dedication to fostering a sustainable future for all.
The ESGBusiness Awards recognises and celebrates companies that lead the way in building a sustainable future. The awards programme honours businesses that demonstrate outstanding commitment and achievement in environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.
The ESGBusiness Awards is presented by ESGBusiness. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2025 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's outstanding commitment and achievement in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez at [email protected].
