Despar Nord Turns Supermarket Waste into Shopping Bags | ESM Magazine

Italy’s Despar Nord, a part of Aspiag Service, is implementing a new eco-friendly initiative to give waste a ‘second life’.

This so called ‘closed loop’ project transforms cardboard packaging waste from Despar Nord supermarkets in the Italian regions of Triveneto, Emilia-Romagna, and Lombardy into new paper shopping bags.

Employees at Despar Nord supermarkets collect used tertiary paper and cardboard packaging, which is then transported to a facility for sorting and selection.

The sorted waste is recycled into usable paper reels that are finally transformed into new shopping bags.

Project Partners

The project involves collaboration with three Venetian waste management firms. Trevisan collects, transports, and sorts the cardboard waste, while Cartiera PM3 recycles the waste into paper reels and Cartotecnica Postumia manufactures shopping bags from recycled paper reels.

This system seeks to ensure efficiency and traceability throughout the process.

Despar Nord has printed QR codes on the shopping bags. Scanning these codes directs customers to a landing page, explaining the project’s goals in detail.

By implementing this initiative, Despar Nord aims to promote sustainability and reduce its environmental impact.

Despar Nord is a concessionaire of the Despar, EUROSPAR, and INTERSPAR brands in Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige, Emilia-Romagna, and Lombardy. Its network comprises 10 distribution platforms, supplying 250 directly owned sales points and 304 affiliated stores.

Earlier this month, Aspiag Service reported a turnover of €2.71 billion in its financial year 2023, marking a 6.3% increase compared to the previous year.

This performance enabled the company to invest around €68 million in expanding its sales network, through new store openings and renovations across its territories.