Our Environmental Commitments

Sustainable development

Meeting the needs of current generations, without compromising the capacity of future generations to meet theirs; for us this is the criteria which guides all our day-to-day activities.

The Environment

Cactus Bësch

Located in Lieler in the municipality of Clervaux, and covering approximately 50 hectares, “Cactus Bësch” is the largest woodland site run by natur&ëmwelt – Fondatioun Hëllef fir d’Natur. Our financial support has made it possible to develop the site into a natural, indigenous woodland area so that its biodiversity can be preserved. A children’s educational trail with learning stations, the “ Yuppi Léierpad ”, has been created here.

Beehives

There’s no avoiding the fact that bees are on the verge of extinction. To promote biodiversity and ensure their survival, we’re working with Luxembourg beekeepers on a project to place beehives on some of the land Cactus owns and there are now hives in Bascharage, Redange, La Belle Etoile and Windhof.

FSC Certification

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) sets worldwide standards to promote environmentally and socially responsible management to protect our forests. At Cactus, we follow these directives to the letter and encourage our stakeholders to obtain FSC certification.

Cactus Bongert

The programme to support the “ Bongert ” traditional orchard at Ettelbruck, our latest project with natur&ëmwelt, is part of an urgent response to prevent the disappearance of high-stem orchards. We’re taking concrete measures to support the development and restoration of this orchard which offers a rich habitat for a multitude of plants and animals. Beehives have been introduced, trees have been planted, land has been acquired and an educational nature trail, the “ Yuppi Léierpad ”, has been built.

Cactus Weier & Dëmpel

Cactus Weier & Dëmpel is our latest project with natur&ëmwelt Fondation Hëllef fir d’Natur. Concerned that there has been a significant decline in wetland areas in Luxembourg over the past decades, Cactus has made a commitment to fund the construction of a large 1,500m2 pond in Mensdorf. It will have a “Yuppi Léierpad” educational trail, an access walkway on stilts, a pontoon and an observatory where visitors can learn about the biodiversity of these habitats which have become extremely rare, and on whose survival largely depends a wide range of animal species.

Renewable Energies

Green Electricity

Since January 1^st 2012, we have been using only green electricity provided by Enovos, Luxembourg’s main energy supplier. All our electricity comes from a mix of environmentally friendly, renewable energy sources: hydroelectricity, wind and photovoltaic power.

Encasol

Jointly owned by Cactus and Enovos, Encasol was set up in 2012 to operate the photovoltaic installations placed on the roofs of several of our supermarkets. In total, 7,416 panels have been installed which produce 1,500,000 kWh/year, equivalent to the annual consumption of some 370 households. Adding this renewable energy to the national electric power mix saves 976 tonnes of CO₂per year.

E-mobility

We not only offer our customers one of the widest selections of electric bikes in Luxembourg, but in some of our supermarket car parks we also provide our customers with charging points for electric cars, motorcycles and bikes.

Ways of Optimizing Energy in our Stores

Ways used in our stores include the installation of cogeneration systems, photovoltaic installations and refrigeration equipment with doors and LED lighting to cut down on energy consumption as well as the recycling and use of rain water.

Waste Recovery and Responsible Recycling

Valorlux

As one of the founder members of Valorlux, Cactus remains today an active member on its Management Board, supporting Valorlux in its work to raise awareness.

Cactus was the first company in the retail sector to provide 100% recyclable, re-usable bags before going on to exclusively sell Valorlux “eco-bags”. To encourage customers to use their Valorlux bags, free plastic bags are now no longer available at our tills.

“SuperDrecksKëscht fir Betriber”

Cactus is certified “SuperDrecksKëscht fir Betriber”, a label guaranteeing the quality of our environmentally-friendly waste management system. This label is awarded by the Luxembourg Environment Agency and the Chamber of Trades.

Unsold Items get a Second Life

Red Cross, Caritas and Cent Buttek Social Grocery Stores

Those who use the social grocery stores are sent by Social Services and being able to buy foodstuffs at less than the market price gives them greater buying power. We supply the social groceries either by providing goods at preferential prices or by giving them products close to their use-by date or which no longer fit our selection criteria.

Organic Waste

Ultra-fresh, fragile products such as meat, fish, and leftover food from our restaurants cannot be redistributed through social grocery stores so they are sent to the Mangen biomethanisation (anaerobic digestion) plant at Flaxweiler. Processing this waste generates green energy in the form of gas – and it is used either as gas or to produce electricity – while the sediment becomes agricultural fertilizer.

Parc Merveilleux de Bettembourg

The animals at the Parc Merveilleux in Bettembourg also enjoy unsold fruit and vegetables. Containers are gradually filled and then given to the A.P.E.M.H. (Parents Association for Mentally Disabled Children) which runs the park as a training and work structure.

In-House Efforts

There’s no better way of reducing food waste than by avoiding it altogether. At Cactus, we’ve brought in various measures to achieve this such as computerized stock control, packaging options for the smaller household, selling customers the quantity of fresh products they actually want, as well as guaranteeing just-in-time with our internal logistics system.