In 2022, Mega Image continued its initiatives to reduce food waste, both operationally, to reduce the number of products that end up being wasted, and socially, by redirecting products to NGOs for vulnerable categories.

1,757 tons of food were directed to social cases, an increase of over 87% compared to the previous year.

Food waste decreased by 26% compared to the previous year. All Mega Image stores support people from disadvantaged backgrounds with basic food, and the company runs specific internal programs to identify and implement solutions to reduce food waste.

The company reduced energy consumption by installing photovoltaic panels and new equipment in stores, thus reducing the impact on the environment.

47.5% of the total electricity consumption was green energy, from renewable sources, i.e. 95 GWh/year was the total amount of green energy used in its network of units, coming from renewable sources.

The company expanded the installation of charging stations for electric cars, at the end of 2022 existing in the parking lots of 43 Mega Image stores in Bucharest, Ilfov, and Cluj-Napoca.

At the end of last year, the Mega Image retailer had solar panels with an installed power of approximately 1,640 kWp on 19 of the 428 Mega Image stores it operated and in the warehouse in Popești Leordeni.

In addition, last year, the retailer installed 20 photovoltaic plants, with a total of 5,800 photovoltaic panels, to be put into operation this year, and designed a system consisting of approximately 1,000 photovoltaic panels on a metal canopy structure that will shadow the parking lot of the warehouse in Popești-Leordeni.

In addition to the panels, last year the retailer reduced its energy consumption by 5% compared to the previous year (kWh/m2 of sales area) to 770 kWh/m2 through a system called Smart Metering that worked in 940 Mega Image and Shop&Go stores. It monitors in real-time and centrally the energy consumption in the stores, the temperature of the cold rooms and the sales rooms, and controls the operation of the energy-consuming equipment.

For most of its stores, Mega Image buys green electricity with a zero carbon emission factor. For example, in Bucharest, 48% of stores use green energy, which represents 61% of the energy consumption of all stores in the capital.

The company reduced its total CO2 emissions (kilotons CO2) by 11%, from 48.71 in 2021 to 43.5 in 2022.

"Despite the challenges brought by the geopolitical and post-pandemic crisis, the year 2022 represented a relevant picture of our responsible commitment. We continued the directions about all those affected by our actions – employees, customers, partners, and local communities – for a better future, for all of us. We took a step further in 2022 as well, strengthening our sustainability motto through daring projects that respect the environment and bring benefits to communities", says Mircea Moga, CEO of Mega Image.