GREEN Tourism, the sustainable tourism certification programme, has produced a list of top tips for convenience retailers who want to make their businesses more sustainable.
1. Have a green range or use a symbol to represent green products in stock such as low-phosphate detergents, oxygen-based products or natural products.
2. Have a screen for open-fronted chiller cabinets to save energy and check if it uses R600 or R290 as they are the greenest gases.
3. LEDs use half the energy of fluorescent lights and they’re much safer to dispose of, as they don’t contain mercury.
4. Stock local and organic products where possible to support the local economy. This may attract people who are seeking good local produce.
5. Save on waste by donating products that can no longer be sold in store (i.e. out of season or damaged packaging) to a local food bank or animal welfare/rehabilitation centre.
