The award recognises efforts these suppliers are making to join the retailer in working towards becoming more environmentally responsible. The retailer, named international Responsible Retailer of the Year for 2008, is the first retailer in the world to recognise suppliers for their efforts in becoming more eco-efficient.

This year's recipients include La Motte, Kimberly-Clark SA and, for the second year running, Westfalia, which grows the bulk of the retailer's avocados and mangos.

La Motte produces red wines (Grand Rouge Merlot and Grand Rouge Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz Reserve) as well as potted disa plants. The judges commended the company for their professional environmental management system. Since 2004 they have reduced their relative water usage per litre of wine by 41% and their relative energy usage by 17%. And they're maintaining their efforts; they should shortly obtain Champion status (the highest possible) under the Biodiversity in Wine Initiative, and their wine estate is in the process of converting to organic production.

The judges applauded Kimberly-Clark South Africa for having achieved ISO 14001 certification, their 10% reduction in total water usage and for implementing a significant number of projects relating to facility upgrades, training and development of their people as well as for developing a clear strategy and setting supporting targets for the years ahead. The company supplies tissue paper products including facial tissues, kitchen towels, toilet tissue and nappies.

100% of the virgin paper fibre Kimberly-Clark SA uses comes from certified, cultivated, managed tree plantations and it has its own waste paper collecting division which collects waste paper from around South Africa. This paper is recycled and used to make tissue paper in some of their products. This process diverts some 60,000 tons of waste paper from landfill sites every year.

Westfalia, which received the inaugural Eco-Efficiency Award in 2007, was recognised for their work, particularly in terms of understanding the carbon footprint of their avocado production. It was shown to be in favourable balance with 41 250 tons of CO2 being fixed in orchard biomass, compared to total of 2 453 tons of CO2 equivalents released in the production and distribution of their avos to both local and overseas customers.

As a reward for their efforts, the winners will enjoy a Wilderness Leadership School hike for two of their employees on the flagship White Rhino Trail in the ImFolozi Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal.

[19 Nov 2008 14:00]

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