London Drugs believes in a more sustainable future. As a major Canadian retailer, London Drugs is proud to serve the communities in which they operate.

Believe in Better and London Green is their promise to keep working to find better, greener ways to do business, and to help their customers find the sustainability solutions the seek.

London Drugs addresses sustainability through a four-pillar approach:

1. Upstream Purchasing

2.Energy & Operations

3.Waste Reduction

4.Communication & Education

 They know they won't always be perfect - sustainability is a journey - but London Drugs hopes you will join in working towards better solutions for their stores, their community and the planet.

Responsible Purchasing

London Drugs is committed to integrating sustainability criteria into purchasing decisions and engaging with Vendors to maximize environmental and social improvements in their supply chains. The Responsible Purchasing Policy is a framework that will enable London Drugs to serve their customers better through innovation and continued involvement in the communities they service, while proactively managing supply chain risks and fiscal responsibility.

London Drugs asks all vendors to commit to the basic code of conduct, including commitments on child labour, non-discrimination, environmental responsibility, and anti-corruption.

For brands that go the extra mile towards greater sustainability, London Drugs also provides a questionnaire that helps them better understand their benefits and feature them to their green-minded customers. This covers areas including waste reduction and greenhouse gas emissions.

What Makes a Product Green?

These days, "green" can refer to a way of thinking and acting, individually, corporately or at the political level, that makes environmental factors a greater part of the decision-making process.

Specific terms such as certified organic, recyclable, carbon-neutral, Eco-certified, FSC-certified, etc, are used to more accurately describe specific benefits of products and processes.

Some of the benefits they consider when referring to a product as green:

Third-party certification

Reduced Packaging

Reduced Energy Use

Recyclable Packaging or content

Products that are degradable or compostable

Organic Production

Recycled content in products or packaging

Reduced synthetic chemicals/toxins

Local production

Reduced carbon footprint

Logical environmental advantages (such as rechargeable batteries)

Self-declared environmental claims

Corporate responsibility

The best recommendation a product can have is third-party certification, such as Organic BC, Fairtrade Canada or Energy Star. Self-declared claims are also acceptable if the product's package and/or website offer reasonable transparency and support for the claim.

Corporate behaviour plays a role, too. Does the manufacturer contribute to environmental or social causes? Are they measuring and working towards reducing their carbon footprint? Ultimately, "green" is in the eye of the beholder - there is no such thing as a "zero-footprint" product. The ultimate green shopping decision is up to you.

Waste Diversion

Through hard work and dedication from London Drugs staff, their stores have achieved a waste diversion rate of over 90% throughout the company.

In their DSC Warehouse, they actively recycle every component of packaging, from cardboard and Styrofoam to the plastic strapping that holds it all together. They have also updated our lighting to reduce energy use and continue to fine-tune our processes to save even more.

Through efficient warehouse design, London Drugs is able to put more goods through a smaller footprint, reducing the need for larger space and keeping our delivery operations as centralized as possible.

For more information, visit londondrugs.com.

Photo: London Drugs

Program subject to change. Contact the store directly for more information.