Waste management

Within the 2006 reporting scope, PPR companies produced over 79,876 tonnes of waste, consisting mainly of packaging, and around 7,000 tonnes of hazardous waste. To optimise waste management, the Group introduced a global reporting procedure covering the entire waste-management chain (collection, transport, treatment and reclamation). In addition, it has paid particular attention to waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

Non-hazardous waste*
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
Hazardous wastes**

 

Non-hazardous waste

For the 2006 reporting scope, the Group's companies generated 72,803 tonnes of non-hazardous waste or 92.8% of total waste, of which 40% was recovered (more than 29,000 tonnes).

• Since October 206, YSL Beauté has worked to reduce packaging waste in connection with the automation of a fragrance packaging line. The measure led to a 38-tonne reduction in cardboard waste out of the 594 tonnes produced in 2006.
• Conforama has been operating a centralised management system with selective sorting of its cardboard waste since 2001;
• CFAO recycles as cattle feed all 2.5 tonnes of slop (solid residue from the beer manufacturing process) generated daily by the Pointe Noire brewery in the Congo.

These different initiatives also serve to stabilise or even reduce the costs involved in waste management.

 

> Breakdown of the main waste recovered in 2006 (as %)

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)

As a major retailer, the PPR Group is directly affected by French Decree No. 2002-829 of 20 July 2005 pertaining to the disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). With these concerns in mind, since 2004, PPR has been involved in the pioneering mission of Eco-Systèmes, a French ecological agency combining the efforts of a large number of producers and distributors. In 2005, PPR became a shareholder of Eco-Systèmes and, with its own companies, contributes to the proceedings of working groups seeking to pool the collection and processing of this type of waste. The Group companies’ involvement in these activities enables them to offer their customers consistent, transparent information on the facilities for collecting and processing such products.

• In 2006, the companies collected and recovered more than 3,000 tonnes of WEEE,
• Since November 15, 2006, date of the effective launch of the WEEE collection and treatment system, 3 million WEEE information booklets have been available in the Group stores and companies, designed to inform consumers on the facilities available for collecting and processing such waste.
• In 2006, 17,000 PPR staff were trained and/or sensitised on this topic, to enable them to answer customers’ questions and cater to their needs.

Hazardous waste

Generated in very small quantities (less than 9% of total volume) by the PPR companies included in the reporting scope, less than half the Group’s hazardous waste is directly channelled towards specialist reclamation subsidiaries. The bulk of this waste is batteries, ink cartridges, etc.

• Fnac stores are equipped with collecting units which, in 2006, gathered 26 tonnes of batteries. This company has also been collecting printer ink cartridges since June 2006.

• CFAO recycles used oil generated by Brasco in the production of heat.

* Non-hazardous waste: formerly called non-hazardous industrial waste. This mainly includes cardboard, paper, scrap metal, plastic, ink cartridges, glass and plaster.
** Hazardous waste: includes neons, batteries, waste electrical and electronic equipment, used oils, photo laboratory waste, paints, aerosols, tyres and soiled packaging.