In a significant step towards sustainability, Biedronka, a leading Polish retailer, has partnered with Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, to implement a closed-loop programme designed to supply, collect, and recycle corrugated packaging. This initiative aligns with Biedronka’s strategic goals of reducing plastic consumption and lowering CO2 emissions.
As articulated in a recent joint webinar, the programme initiates with the processing of waste paper at a facility in Świecie, Poland. The produced paper is subsequently transformed into corrugated cardboard packaging at one of Mondi’s six Polish factories. This packaging is crucial for Biedronka’s suppliers, who utilize it for packing and transporting goods to logistics centres and ultimately to retail stores. Upon consumption, the empty cardboard is retrieved and returned to Biedronka’s distribution centres, where Mondi reclaims it to restart the recycling cycle.
The partners are optimistic that this initiative will bolster zero-waste practices while ensuring adherence to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and other EU directives. Biedronka is also committed to ambitious sustainability targets, including a 10% reduction in plastic consumption by 2025, based on a 2018 benchmark, and a corresponding decrease in CO2 emissions by 10% by 2026 from a 2021 baseline.
“Creating a truly circular economy for corrugated packaging in the retail industry is a collective effort,” remarked Mateusz Buchowiecki, key account manager in Mondi’s Corrugated Solutions team in Poland. He emphasized the partnership’s aim to establish a paradigm of sustainability that not only meets regulatory requirements but also serves as a model for scalable solutions across Europe.
Agnieszka Koc, sustainability and ESC director at Biedronka, noted that this collaboration marks a pivotal moment in the company’s environmental initiatives, facilitating a strategic shift towards decreased virgin material use and enhanced recycling efforts.
This partnership emerges at a time when other European retailers, including Albert Heijn, Aldi, and Carrefour, are also exploring innovative sustainable packaging solutions. Notably, Citeo plans to trial a reusable packaging system across French retailers this summer, with a vision for broader implementation by 2026.
As both Biedronka and Mondi advance their sustainability objectives, they underscore the importance of collaboration in fostering an environmentally responsible retail landscape.
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