Musgrave NI invests £2.7 million in SuperValu and Centra stores in major new sustainability fund

Musgrave NI invests £2.7 million in SuperValu and Centra stores in major new sustainability fund

Musgrave NI has announced a £2.7 million investment in its SuperValu and Centra stores across Northern Ireland as part of a new sustainability fund aimed at empowering retailers to achieve net zero carbon by 2040.

The fund, which is part of Musgrave’s island of Ireland sustainability strategy, will result in an estimated 12% carbon reduction by the company over a two-year period.

In Northern Ireland, this investment will be equal to planting more than 31,000 trees or powering 426 homes every year as it will remove over 840 tonnes of carbon.

Musgrave NI is committing £42,500 per SuperValu store and £21,250 per Centra store. Retailers can select suitable initiatives based on each store’s needs and set-up, including upgrading freezers and refrigeration units, LED lighting retrofit, solar panels, and electronic shelf edge labels (eSELs).

Musgrave’s new sustainability strategy aims to reduce its carbon emissions to reach net zero carbon by 2040, provide consumers with more sustainable shopping choices in-store and work with retailers to ensure their stores are sustainable.

Trevor Magill, Managing Director, Musgrave Northern Ireland said: “The climate crisis is the biggest threat to humanity, and we all have a responsibility to act now to protect the planet for generations to come. Musgrave is committed to leading when it comes to climate action, and this is something we’ve been really focused on in recent years. This £2.7 million sustainability fund is another step forward in supporting our retail partners to reduce their carbon emissions.

“Our SuperValu and Centra retailers are at the heart of local communities here, they’re invested in the future of those communities but also uniquely positioned to show leadership in sustainability at a local level. We look forward to working with those retailers on this fund and our other sustainability initiatives aimed at educating shoppers and encouraging our suppliers to play their part in creating a more sustainable future.”

As part of its strategy, Musgrave NI has committed to:

  • Reducing or eliminating its own branding packaging where possible, and where packaging is necessary, 100% of it will be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025. Currently over 90% of SuperValu and Centra own brand packaging in NI is recyclable, reusable or compostable.
  • 100% of instore packaging to be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
  • By 2025 all stores will use LED lighting only.

In January, SuperValu and Centra pledged to plant 50,000 trees in Northern Ireland by 2032. They are doing so in partnership with Trees on the Land – a charity and not-for-profit project from the Green Economy Foundation. So far, 5,000 native trees have been planted in 13 locations across Northern Ireland already this year, and a further 5,000 are due to be planted in 2023.