Supermarket chain Asda has released its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report that included data covering the 2022 calendar year.

The report, which is the third for the retailer, revealed that its operational carbon footprint had declined by 8% in 2021 and 40% in 2015.

The retailer aims to hit its target of a 50% reduction in net-zero emissions by 2040.

The ESG report also said that Asda increased the proportion of kerbside recyclable own-label packaging to 88% and introduced the Refill Price Guarantee on its in-store refill zones.

During the year, the supermarket recycled, reused or repurposed 86% of its operational waste and claimed to send zero operational waste to landfill.

To address the food waste crisis, Asda removed best-before dates from nearly 250 fresh fruit and vegetable products and changed its own brand yoghurts to a best-before date.

In addition, the retailer donated 2,173t of surplus food in 2022.

Asda co-owner Mohsin Issa said: “I am committed to growing Asda for the long term – and ensuring that the great value this business is known for can reach even more communities in the UK.

“Our third ESG Report demonstrates the progress we are making and underlines our continued commitment to delivering value to our customers by saving them time and money, through delivering a compelling consumer proposition across all formats.”

Last month, the retailer dropped the prices of 226 own-label products to support families amid the increasing cost of living crisis.