Environment

In line with the group’s objective of minimising its environmental impact, an environmental committee was established by the operating board during the past year. The committee comprises senior managers from all areas of the business and meets monthly. Its scope is all-encompassing and its mandate is to minimise the environmental impact made by the group and its stakeholders in all identified spheres. It reports quarterly to the chief executive officer and two members of the operating board. In order to ensure that the process is fully inclusive, the committee issues regular e-mails to all staff encompassing all aspects of environmental awareness.

Whilst retail businesses supplying clothing and related products have a low impact on the environment, we are well aware that responsible use of limited resources is imperative. There have been no environmental incidents of any significance within the group and no penalties or fines have been imposed by any environmental regulatory authority.

In addition, the following measures remain in force:

  • a member of the operating board has the responsibility for setting environmental policy, objectives, targets and reporting processes;
  • an environmental policy has been compiled;
  • an environmental risk assessment is undertaken annually;
  • all of the group’s known direct and indirect environmental impacts have been identified and tabled;
  • an ongoing, interactive awareness campaign with all of our staff concerning environmental issues is undertaken; and
  • an undertaking by the group exists to reduce and control each identified negative impact and to make optimal use of diminishing natural resources.

Our environmental policy is available to all staff through our intranet.

Our direct impacts

Cardboard, paper and plastics

The amount of cardboard and waste paper generated by our distribution centres and head office remains approximately 130 000 kilograms per month, the majority being sold to recyclers. A portion of the waste cardboard is shredded and utilised as protective packaging. Plastic waste from these sites is minimal as a result of the elimination of shrink-wrapping of cartons. Residual plastic waste is sold to the recycling industry.

Cardboard and other waste at stores continues to be managed by shopping centre disposal processes and the informal sector.

Plastic hangers are recycled, the cleaning and sorting processes being performed by The Workshop and House Horizon in Stellenbosch and Chris Steytler Industries in Bellville. This provides employment to their differently-abled employees. These facilities recycled 3,5 million hangers during the past year.

All plastic bags used by the stores are durable and reusable, being made of sheeting that is at least 40 microns in thickness. In certain divisions use is also made of recyclable paper packets.

Electricity and water

With the current energy crisis, there is a concentration of effort surrounding power-saving initiatives.

Head office buildings utilise energy management systems and energy-efficient lighting to minimise the use of electricity. Signage has been placed in head office buildings to ensure that staff do not make use of unnecessary lighting where it is not required. This includes unused conference rooms and display areas.

The air conditioning plant in the main head office complex houses ice tanks that generate ice during off-peak hours, which is used for day-time cooling. We have reduced the operating time of the air conditioning plant by two hours per day.

Where possible, computers at head office locations are switched off at night, and computer procurement now includes a requirement for energy efficiency.

The Eskom demand side management initiative continues to be met with contractual obstacles and the project to install electronic control-gear and energy-saving lighting in all of our stores remains in abeyance. However, we remain hopeful of a positive outcome. All new and refurbished stores are as a matter of course fitted with energy-saving lighting and control-gear.

Where it is practical and safe to do so, stores are now switching off all or most lights outside trading hours.

Water is primarily consumed for personal and hygiene purposes. Regular maintenance ensures that there is minimal wastage.

Electricity and water expenditure is monitored by the trading and service divisions each month against budgets and records of the previous year, and variances are followed up.

We are investigating the electricity cost per square meter by trading division for all of the stores. Where there is a discrepancy it is followed up.

Printers, faxes and laser cartridges

All printers and fax machines make use of recycled laser cartridges. In addition, we are investigating the use of double-sided printing as a standard throughout the group.

Vehicles

Company vehicles are checked and serviced in accordance with the manufacturers’ prescribed intervals. Merchandise transport is managed by outsourced professionals who, by the nature of their operations, ensure that their vehicles perform at optimal efficiency. As this is one of the group’s larger areas of environmental impact, we intend to engage with the service providers in order to ascertain how best carbon emissions can be minimised.

Air conditioning systems

All air conditioning systems are maintained by outsourced technicians in terms of a regular maintenance programme. Refrigerants are not discharged into the atmosphere but recovered and recycled. Only refrigerants that comply with the requirements of the Montreal Protocol are used.

Electronic waste

Fluorescent tube and general lamp disposal at head offices and distribution centres is controlled by an environmental waste management company. In the main, stores currently rely on the disposal processes of their local municipalities or of the shopping centres in which they are located.

Redundant computers that are not donated are sent to an established electronic recycling company. They are stripped of recyclable materials and the unusable components are disposed of in a manner that is not harmful to the environment.

Used watch batteries from both our jewellery stores and head office watch repair workshop are similarly disposed of in an environmentally-friendly manner.

Via our intranet, staff members are encouraged to make use of the environmental disposal service for old cellphone components offered by all MTN franchise dealerships.

Our indirect impacts

Property development

The group will not enter into rental agreements where developers have not conducted the required environmental impact assessments.

Suppliers

Suppliers have been issued with supplier agreements for signature which require their compliance with, inter alia, labour, and customs and excise legislation. Regular audits are undertaken at the premises of our merchandise suppliers and deviations from agreed standards must be remedied if the suppliers are to retain a business relationship with the group.