Waste & recycling

Migros is steadily expanding its collection system and making staff and customers more aware of how to collect and separate recyclable material correctly. It strives to ensure that all collected waste is reused as a recycled material in new products, and thus makes an important contribution to the recycling economy. 

PET and plastic bottles

In 2016, customers returned close to 16'000 t of recyclable material to the Migros branches, where it was collected and recycled by Migros. The approximately 293 million PET drinks bottles accounted for the largest proportion of customer returns (9'393 t). According to PET Recycling Switzerland, Migros again collected more PET drinks bottles than any other Swiss retailer and is on course to meet its promise. The granules from the recycled bottles are used to make new drinks bottles. 

In the reporting year, Migros recovered 2'900 t household plastic bottles, 15.4% more than in the previous year. The recycled plastic bottles are used to produce plastic pipes for the construction industry, among other things.

In some Swiss cantons and municipalities, mixed collection bags have been available for all plastic waste, such as bottles, yoghurt pots, bowls and tubes, since 2016. Migros is sceptical about mixed collection, as about 70% of household plastic waste cannot be recycled economically or used to make new products. It therefore believes that PET and plastic bottles should be collected separately.

In 2016, Migros again supported various campaigns to encourage the public to recycle household PET and plastic bottles correctly. A short film, new stickers and amended flyers and posters at the collection points provide customers with information on how to dispose of waste correctly.

In some larger Migros shopping centres, the touring exhibition RessourCITY by the Practical Environmental Protection Switzerland Foundation (PUSCH) raised awareness of resource use during consumption in an interactive way. Migros supported the implementation of the "Packaging and Recycling" station.

Prevention of littering is an important social issue for Migros. For example, the Migros Cooperative Basel, Denner and Globus support the "Drägg Sagg" campaign, which encourages correct disposal of take-away waste in the city of Basel.

 

The active improvement of packaging helps to preserve natural resources. In line with the motto "prevent – reduce – recycle", Migros is constantly striving to systematically reduce the volume of packaging, use more recycled material and optimise packaging recycling. For example, in 2016 a new packaging for organic meat was introduced. It is made mostly from FSC-certified cardboard and is covered with a thin film. The film can be removed after use and the cardboard optimally recycled.

Migros made environmental improvements to the packaging of various products in 2016 as part of its Generation M promise. For example, the thickness of glass used in jam jars for the Favorit brand was reduced; thus Migros saves around 126 t of glass per year. In addition, the PET bottles of various mineral waters from M-Industry company Aproz now consist of 40% recycled PET (previously 35%), which reduces the amount of new material required by 116 t per year. Migros has optimised 2'726 t of packaging material since 2013. It has thus taken an important step to meeting its objective of optimising more than 6'000 t of packaging material by 2020.

Since November, the "Raschelsäckli" have cost five cents at the checkouts of Migros branches. Migros became the first retailer to implement the voluntary industry agreement nationwide for which it had consistently lobbied. The new bags are made fully from recycled material. The plastic used comes from the waste generated by the Neuendorf distribution centre. Within just two months of the charge being introduced, use of plastic bags fell by about 80% in line with expectations. Profits generated from the sale of the bags will be put towards external environmental projects this year.

 

In the reporting year, the Migros Cooperative Zurich introduced a reusable fruit and vegetable bag made of polyester. It thereby responded to customer requests for environmentally friendly packaging for fresh food. The bag will be introduced in the other nine Cooperatives during the course of this year.

In 2016, Migros also tested reusable bowls in selected Migros takeaways and restaurants as an environmentally friendly alternative to disposable tableware. Due to the positive response, the plastic bowls were introduced at numerous takeaways and restaurants throughout Switzerland on 1 January 2017, enabling customers to make a contribution to avoidance of waste and conservation of resources.

A third of all food worldwide is thrown away. Migros strives to keep waste as low as possible. And it does so successfully: 98.5% of food in the branches, restaurants and take-aways was sold as food, offered at a reduced price or donated in 2016. Just 1.5% of the food offered in Migros stores, restaurants and take-aways was not sold as food or donated: 1.4% was used as animal feed, compost or in fermentation, while 0.1% was incinerated as waste. Migros aims to reduce the proportion even further in the future.

Products approaching their sell-by date are sold to customers and staff at reduced prices. Unsold food is donated to aid organisations, such as Tischlein deck dich and Schweizer Tafel, which Migros also supports financially. 

In addition, the Migros companies Jowa and ELSA-MIFROMA also donated surplus fresh food via the "Food Bridge" food bank in the reporting year. Denner now processes food that cannot be consumed, despite partnerships with aid organisations, into energy and heat at biogas plants.

Less food waste thanks to nose-to-tail

In its sustainability strategy, Micarna has set itself the aim of utilising every part of the animal. It hopes to reduce food waste by 15.0% between 2013 and 2020, make good use of all usable parts of a product, and recycle 100% of them. Useful parts of a product will now be incinerated only if it is required by law. Micarna's priorities when utilising the useful parts of a product are food, feed and energy.

In the reporting year, Micarna apprentices launched the pilot project Mix-Carna. It reduces food waste in the area of product development by collecting, packing and labelling the food, and selling it in the staff shop after it has been checked by quality control.

In 2016, the butcher Mérat & Cie AG launched a nose-to-tail range in order to raise awareness of use of every part of the animal among food businesses and customers. Alongside making optimum use of all parts of the animal, Mérat is also intending to re-establish forgotten food, such as knuckle of pork and offal.

Avoiding food waste in restaurants and take-aways

Together with the United Against Waste association, the Migros Group trained about 100 managerial staff in catering operations on how to avoid food waste in staff restaurants, the Migros restaurants and the Migros take-aways.

In the Micarna staff restaurants, an awareness campaign on the topic of food waste was launched. Overall, Micarna was able to reduce food waste in the two weeks of the campaign by almost 27% in comparison with the previous year. The campaign will be repeated regularly.