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INDUSTRY NEWS
NATIONAL VICTORIA
A Sustainable Supermarket As a community-minded small business, sustainability and cost efficiency were top priorities for Paul’s IGA. After identifying an enormous cost burden with organic waste in the store, placed into bins and sent to landfill, Arthur Corcoris decided to act. Arthur implemented an organic waste solution to take this waste and convert it to a rich fertiliser. Located in Melbourne’s outer east, Paul’s IGA offers the community a range of fresh fruit and vegetables and specialised food and liquor products in addition to standard supermarket lines. As a family business established in 1977 with a footprint of 1,800sqm,
today, it derives its’s sales from fresh produce, gourmet deli items, preprepared meals, and bakery items. Faced with organic waste of up to 1 ton per week, managing director Arthur Corcoris understood that the organic waste dehydrator was a great solution to significantly reduce waste going to landfill while reducing his cost for waste removal. The end product is a nutrient-rich fertiliser distributed to local gardeners, community gardens and local primary schools. Pauls’ IGA underwent a business sustainability assessment to then become the first ‘Sustainable
Supermarket’ by implementing a range of initiatives aimed at reducing waste, improving energy usage, and updating operational procedures to improve overall sustainability.
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“The addition of the organic dehydrator waste solution to our supermarket has reduced our landfill waste by about 50%, reducing pickups and saving $600 per month with both stores”. Arthur Corcoris. Since implementing the Organic solution at both stores – Heathmont IGA & Paul’s IGA Ringwood East, Paul’s IGA have:
imp Diverted over 900kg of organic waste per week Pauls enrich 360 TM waste dehydrator
For more information on how to save waste costs, improve energy usage and learn more about ‘Sustainable Supermarkets’, please visit: www.mga.asn.au/sustainability Call MGA sustainability team on 1300 849 908 or email: aces@mga.asn.au mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4
