ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

Super Group is actively working with its client, Sappi, to reduce its transport-related carbon emissions. The business currently operates 11 state-of-the-art MAN TGX trucks for Sappi – transporting 50-ton payloads of dissolving pulp for export from their Umkomaas mill south of Durban to a central warehouse close to the Durban port. To enhance their emission-reducing capability, the Euro 5-compliant MAN TGX trucks make use of a diesel exhaust fluid known as AdBlue.

AdBlue is a clear mixture of demineralised water and pure urea that reduces harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides from diesel engines. It is used in vehicles with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, which makes vehicles more fuel-efficient and reduces the amount of pollution emitted.

The next step in this environmental partnership with Sappi is to determine the viability of hybrid electric trucks and hydrogen-powered trucks.

With a focus on high-density urban environments, Super Group company Ader has established an eco-friendly last-mile delivery service. Aptly named “Green City Messengers”, this non-polluting last-mile courier business will distribute packages on foot or using non-polluting vehicles such as bicycles and cargo tricycles. Larger deliveries will go by electric van.

With initial operations based in Madrid, distribution is managed from both fixed and mobile micro-hubs in key locations across the city. The company is exploring how best urban spaces can be adapted for the operational requirements of effective storage, loading and unloading. It works closely with every client to understand their unique requirements – providing effective solutions that are always eco-friendly.

In addition to its passion for the environment, Green City Messengers aims to create job opportunities for people at risk of social exclusion – with a large part of the workforce coming from disadvantaged or marginalised social groups.

Super Group company Digistics has embarked on an exciting initiative that will not only benefit the environment but also reduce operating costs. With a focus on quick service restaurants, Digistics is a procurement and food distribution business that distributes multi-temperature-controlled product portfolios for McDonalds, KFC, King Pie, Corner Bakery, Pizza Hut, Burger King and Starbucks. The business collects used cooking oil (UCO) from its clients in a specially developed oil container. The UCO is then converted into biodiesel and used within the fleet. This will enable Digistics to reduce its carbon emissions by 3.71% per 1 000 litre of diesel on a B5 blend. Digistics is actively working towards a B20 blend that will allow it to reduce its carbon emissions by 20%. Digistics also implemented a proof of concept (POC) of a solar photovoltaic vehicle rooftop and battery energy storage system (BESS). The BESS system powers the refrigeration and tail lift of the vehicle while the rooftop solar panels charge the batteries. It will also allow the operator to switch the truck off during delivery, eliminating noise pollution and cutting down on diesel consumption and CO₂ emissions. The POC ran from June 2022, with exciting results. The findings indicate that a truck could run the entire delivery day (12 hours) and achieve a fuel saving of 3.53l per operational hour, equating to 100% fuel saving on fridge use if functioning optimally. The business is now focused on a broader implementation plan.

With the objective of regreening drylands in central Tanzania, Super Group companies inTime, TLT and Ader continue to partner with Justdiggit. Together with millions of farmers and companies like Super Group, Justdiggit is on a mission to regreen Africa and cool down the planet. By implementing cost-effective nature-based solutions across Africa, they are planning to mitigate global warming by 37%. Since inception, Justdiggit has activated over 150 000 Tanzanian farmers to bring back trees on their own land. This has led to the regeneration of almost 14 million trees.

Since the Super Group partnership began early in 2022, considerable progress has been made. In the Chyulu hills at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, over 109 000 soil bunds have been dug. These bunds have brought over 1 000 hectares of degraded rangelands under restoration. By capturing rainwater, high quality grasses get the chance to sprout and establish, which will boost the ecosystem. In the Kenyan South Rift, Justdiggit has begun implementing their regreening techniques in two large valleys. These areas are of great importance to surrounding communities but are degrading rapidly. Bringing back permanent and high-quality vegetation is therefore a high priority. Justdiggit has also started a new large-scale programme in the north of Tanzania, where they now work in almost 70 villages. By bringing back trees, digging rainwater harvesting trenches and soil bunds, the organisation aims to rehabilitate degrading landscapes on a large scale.

The Super Group contribution has been substantial – 73 342 trees have been planted, 2 041 hectares regreened and 6 804 people positively impacted. Over time, the partnership will contribute to the restoration of over 330 000 trees, regreening over 81 million m2. This will lead to the absorption of thousands of tonnes of CO₂ and have a significant impact on nature, people, biodiversity and climate. Learn more at www.justdiggit.org.

Also refer to the Group Social and Ethics report.

Super Group’s operations across the world are systematically switching to energy-efficient LED lighting. This lighting uses 85% less electricity when compared to conventional lighting and around 18% less electricity compared to a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). LEDs last much longer than alternative light bulbs and fewer light bulbs mean less disposal, reducing waste going into landfills. During the reporting period the Group removed over 1 000 old-style light fittings and installed over 1 100 LEDs, saving a significant 121 kW.

Dealerships UK

Our Dealerships UK business is well advanced in switching to LEDs and saved over R1 million in the last financial year.

The division has also introduced a number of other light and money saving initiatives, including:

• Setting external lighting on timers to only come on outside of daylight hours
• Installing passive infrared (PIR) sensors in offices to prevent lights being left on
• Running an internal communication campaign to educate staff
• Installing dimmer switches to take the brightness down a notch so that less electricity is used
• Linking dimmer switches to sensors that turn up the light as the daylight outside decreases
• Plans to install master switches to turn off all lights upon exiting a building

SG Convenience

The SG Convenience business is systematically installing LED lighting in all of its warehouses – including those in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and George. These warehouses will also feature automatic motion sensors to activate the lights in the required areas when movement is detected – with the lights turning off when there has been no movement after a set time period.

In the Johannesburg warehouse, for example, 168 x 250W T8 fluorescent bulbs were replaced with just 105 x 200W LED lights – resulting in a 48.54% saving in electrical consumption.

The light output of the old fluorescent bulbs was a maximum of 5 384 lumens, while the output of the LED bulbs is 24 000 lumens – providing better illumination throughout the warehouse and thereby enabling better picking accuracy.

Although water covers much of the Earth, only a tiny fraction is available for drinking, bathing, agriculture and other uses. Of the water on the planet, 97% is salt water and just 3% fresh water. This is a sobering reality that Super Group takes very seriously, with wash bay water recycling initiatives just one example of how the business is making every drop count.

SG Coal

Wash bay water typically contains bacteria and other harmful pollutants, and several advanced filtering and treatment processes form part of the SG Coal recycling system to ensure that these pollutants are eliminated – and that this “grey” water can be recycled several times. The sophisticated system enables the effective separation of hydrocarbons such as oil, diesel and petrol, ensuring that the recycled water is fit for re-use in further washing operations.

Thanks to the system, 75% of the municipal water required to run the wash bay is now recycled and reused, saving thousands of litres of water every month. With the recycling system fitted alongside the wash bay, water does not need to be transported to a treatment plant kilometres away – another environmental benefit.

SG Convenience

A state-of-the-art water purification system has been installed at SG Convenience’s Johannesburg warehouse. Four tanks with a capacity of 40 000 litres each store water that is harvested from rainwater and from the wash bay area. This water is recycled through three water traps after it has been filtered through the various sumps to remove the oil and debris.

The water is then used for the wash bay area and, when a water supply issue or low pressure is experienced, is pumped to the toilets in the offices and warehouse. This initiative has resulted in a saving of approximately R493 000 per annum.