Loblaw Cos. Ltd. on Wednesday released its second annual corporate social responsibility report, which details that the retailer launched 10 Marine Stewardship Council-certified seafood products in 2008.
Canada's largest retailer, with more than 1,000 stores nationwide, also announced that this year it will add to its mix of MSC-labeled seafood products and implement the sustainable seafood purchasing policy it has been developing since last year.
The policy will strengthen Loblaw's commitment to sourcing wild and farmed seafood from only sustainable sources and may even require the retailer to phase out seafood from unsustainable sources, according to the report. "Our policy will call for challenging decisions across all stores," said the report.
In 2006, the retailer established five pillars of corporate social responsibility: respect the environment, source with integrity, make a positive difference in our community, reflect our nation's diversity and be a great place to work.
Among the Loblaw's 2008 sustainability initiatives were diverting 328 million plastic shopping bags from landfills, reducing the size of its circulars (saving 5,200 metric tons of paper), and opening a store in Ontario built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
The nonprofit Canadian Business for Social Responsibility helped Loblaw develop its corporate social responsibility strategies.
April 8, 2009
