How we’re adopting a circular approach with our supply partners.
The opportunity
Our reliance on single-use cardboard and polystyrene boxes to transport meat and fresh produce created two key challenges: waste from materials that were often non-recyclable, and operational inefficiencies that led to product damage. This presented Woolworths Group with an opportunity to design a more circular system to reduce waste while protecting the quality of our fresh produce.
The action
We have adopted a circular approach with our supply partners to further expand the use of reusable plastic crates (RPCs). These Australian-made crates, capable of up to 140 uses before recycling, incorporate approximately 45% recycled material. RPCs use has been increased across multiple fruit and veg categories, with plans to expand further into poultry.
The impact
By embracing circularity and working with strategic partners, Woolworths Group has significantly reduced waste, lowered our environmental footprint and generated cost savings, proving that sustainability and business goals can effectively align.
The ongoing transition to RPCs has yielded positive results in Australia including:
environmental benefits from over 58 million single-use cardboard boxes avoided per annum, and reductions in CO₂ emissions (24,000 tCO₂e) and water use (244 million litres) when compared to previous packaging.
improved supply chain automation and product quality by reducing load compression.