Tesco extends reusable packaging maintenance contract with Norbert

Tesco has renewed its contract with Norbert Dentressangle for the management of 12 Recycling Service Units (RSUs) throughout the UK and Ireland. In addition, the UK's largest supermarket retailer has also awarded the company an additional contract for the maintenance of its loose equipment fleet.

Under the new maintenance contract, Norbert Dentressangle will be responsible for the servicing and maintenance of more than a million roll cages, as well as trays, buckets and dollies, helping to ensure longevity of assets, ensure optimum availability and reduce repair and capital costs. Norbert Dentressangle will provide these repair services at Tesco's 22 Distribution Centres throughout the UK and Northern Ireland.

The new contract recognises Norbert Dentressangle's expertise in reverse logistics and will take advantage of the company's established returns management IT systems and synergies with Tesco's recycling operations, which will continue to be managed by Norbert Dentressangle.

Established in 1995, the RSU network handles all loose equipment and packaging waste from more than 2,200 stores. Employing around 800 people, the operation currently handles in excess of 230 million trays and flower buckets and recycles more than 300,000 tonnes of card and plastic each year. The centres also handle an increasing amount of food waste and, in a recent initiative, have recycled 10,000 tonnes of bakery waste for use in animal feed since August 2011.

Following a successful trial, Tesco is also rolling out Norbert Dentressangle's professional asset recovery service to help minimise the loss of returnable transit packaging in the supply chain.