Central Co-op, in collaboration with its strategic GNFR (Goods Not for Resale) supplier, Lyreco UK & Ireland, has started using Pro Earth for fuel spill management.
Central Co-op says that, traditionally, sand has been used to absorb fuel spills, but this method creates hazardous waste that needs frequent disposal.
In partnership with Lyreco, Central Co-op introduced a six-month trial of Pro Earth’s ProCleanSorb, a natural peat-based product that replaces sand as a spill absorbent, across three of its petrol filling station sites before rolling it out across all 18 locations.
Harvested from certified Canadian Veriflora sphagnum peat moss and sourced from carefully managed peatlands, ProCleanSorb is produced with methods that preserve the health of peatland ecosystems. In Canada, stringent regulations ensure that peat harvesting impacts less than 1% of the country’s bogs, while the resource itself renews at a rate 50 times faster than it’s used. Through responsible management practices, including replanting native vegetation for restoration, Pro Earth supports both ecological balance and biodiversity. This commitment to sustainability and restoration makes ProCleanSorb an eco-conscious choice that aligns with Central Co-op’s environmental values, offering an efficient spill solution without compromising natural resources.
Unlike sand, which must be left on the spillage site for hours before cleanup to fully soak up the spill, ProCleanSorb can be swept up immediately, won’t leach contaminants into the environment and can even be reused on spillages time and time again. This reduces the frequency and operational costs surrounding both reordering product and waste collections, with Central Co-op finding that ProCleanSorb lasts around 12 times longer than sand previously used. As well as being kinder to the global environment, colleagues also reported faster clean-up times and reduced costs related to waste management.
The feedback from the three trial forecourts boasted improved efficiencies and easier physical handling, with one forecourt manager at Hallifax Road, Huddersfield, commenting: “ProCleanSorb is definitely the cleaner option to use. It soaks up spills much quicker and is a better product underfoot. Sand is more of a ‘grit’ and takes longer to soak up the spillage - heavier in weight when wet too. As ProCleanSorb can be reused, that does play a consideration against sand, and the drums we use for the soiled products don’t get as full as quickly, saving on costs for having the contaminated waste collected.”
