The company is currently working to divert 95% of waste from landfill across the whole of the UK by 2010 and a spokeswoman said that these results showed the company was “well on course to achieve its ultimate goal”.
Tesco is currently running more than 3,500 projects to reduce, reuse and recycle and reach its 100% diversion target. 
In order to achieve this, Tesco has introduced a number of initiatives to prevent and minimise waste from its stores. These initiatives include:
• Reusing recycled carrier bags as refuse bags
• Sending 5,000 tonnes-a-year of meat waste to a PDM Group biomass-to-energy facility, where electricity is produced, in Widnes
• Installing “state-of-the-art” recycling units which have doubled glass and plastic recycling rates
• Delivering and displaying products using reusable plastic trays instead of cardboard.
The spokeswoman said that the latter measure had helped Tesco to save 20,000 tonnes of cardboard in the UK alone.
She explained that the company had worked with a wide range of waste and recycling contractors. This includes Severnside, which recycles card and film, BiogenGreenfinch, which is treating some of Tesco's food waste at its Shropshire anaerobic digestion facility, and Shanks, which is working with stores in East London.
Customers
Recycling issues affecting the business sector, and the opportunity to become a 'Recycling Star' will be discussed at a seminar being held by letsrecycle.com as part of it's Recycling and Waste Forum, which takes place at London's ExCeL between June 10 and 11. For more details, or to book a place, please visit https://www.letsrecycle.com/rwf/
In addition to the in-store initiatives, Tesco is also working with its customers to encourage them to reduce waste. The spokeswoman explained that its Green Clubcard scheme – which gives points for reusing bags – has helped to halve the number of carrier bags given out in its shops since 2006.
The results were released as part of Tesco's Corporate Responsibility Report 2009.
Tesco chief executive, Terry Leahy, commented: “I fundamentally believe that business has a crucial role to play in tackling climate change, setting an example, guiding consumers towards more sustainable forms of consumption, making them affordable and providing the information on which to make informed green choices.”
Tesco also claims to be the first retailer to carbon label its products so customers are aware of the carbon foot print they cause – 100 of its products now carry the footprint label and more are in the planning stages.
Tesco is working on increasing recycling and diverting waste from landfill as part of its drive to reduce its carbon footprint and help fight climate change. It claims its carbon intensity per square foot has fallen 10.9% over the past year, despite its net sales area growing by 16.4% which caused its absolute carbon footprint to grow 3.7%.
Subscribe for free