Shoprite’s largest distribution centre achieves zero waste to landfill certification, diverting over 90% of waste

SOUTH AFRICA – Shoprite’s Centurion distribution centre, the retail giant’s largest DC spanning more than 173,500 square metres, has achieved Level 2 Zero Waste to Landfill certification from the Green Building Council of South Africa, meaning more than 90 percent of all waste generated across the campus is diverted from landfill.

The certification requires third-party verification, including documentation audits, evidence, and detailed record reviews across multiple waste streams and service providers. 

Shoprite group chief sustainability officer Sanjeev Raghubir explained that this achievement is more than a certification, demonstrating that sustainability at scale is not only possible but practical, while providing a clear framework for rolling out similar efforts across the broader distribution network.

How the Centre Diverts Waste

Packaging materials are managed for internal reuse or channelled into reuse markets.

Surplus food is redistributed through the group’s food donation programme, while other goods are resold and equipment is repaired wherever possible before disposal is considered. 

In the 2025 financial year, more than 31,931 tonnes of materials including cardboard, plastics, paper, pallets, glass, and metal were sorted and directed to verified recycling partners.

Food unsuitable for human consumption was repurposed into animal feed, with almost 6,469 tonnes of waste diverted in the last financial year. 

The remaining organic waste was processed through composting, with more than 1,652 tonnes composted during the same period. Less than 10 percent of residual waste was sent to landfill as a last resort.

Why This Matters for Retail Waste Management

Retail distribution centres generate massive waste streams: pallets, cardboard shipping containers, plastic stretch wrap, damaged goods, and expired products. Without structured systems, these materials mix in dumpsters destined for landfill. 

The Centurion DC’s certification proves that at scale, 173,500 square metres, segregation, partnerships with recyclers, and food donation programmes can divert over 90 percent of that volume.

The 31,931 tonnes of materials recycled in FY2025 represents the equivalent weight of approximately 5,300 African elephants. 

The 6,469 tonnes of food waste repurposed as animal feed means that meals were not grown, processed, shipped, and stored only to rot in a landfill.

When a Distribution Centre Becomes a Circular Hub

A warehouse that moves thousands of tonnes of products every day is also a warehouse that generates thousands of tonnes of waste. 

Shoprite’s Centurion DC has proved that waste can be unmixed, redirected, and repurposed. The certification is not the end of the story, it is the blueprint for the other distribution centres in the network.

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