Five ways EMAS is helping retailers be more sustainable & competitive

“Circularity is the only way we can prosper in a world of growing competition for limited natural resources and energy”,

Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy.  

Every day in Europe, around 5.5 million retail companies are delivering essential goods and services to over 450 million consumers.  This strategic position on the market comes with pressures to not only meet consumer demand but also help achieve EU circular economy ambitions.  

European retailers have a competitive interest in going circular as a means of efficiency and resourcefulness, as well as to meet the expectations of an increasingly sustainability-minded consumer base. However, many steps in the product supply chain have an undeniable environmental impact. In 2023, the EU generated around 79.7 million tonnes of packaging waste. While environmental impact varies across sectors and services, the latest data presents wholesale and retail trade as the largest energy-using sub-sector. 

The call for a climate-neutral, competitive, resource-efficient economy has been in the political zeitgeist for some time, with the circular economy included in the European Commission’s 2024-2029 policy priorities. The Circular Economy Action Plan is a strategic framework for making circular policy a fixture of daily market operations across sectors (including textiles, electronics, and food). Another plan of action is the EU Retail Transition Pathway. With targets covering packaging, food waste, energy efficiency, store renovation, and textiles, the pathway will invest up to €600 billion by 2030 to make the retail ecosystem more resilient, digital, and green.  

Emerging regulations also position the retail industry as a key player in Europe’s circular economy. While the Circular Economy Act is due for adoption in late 2026, some are already being activated and enforced. The Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), adopted in early 2025, sets binding targets for the retail sector to ensure recyclable plastic packaging, reuse systems, packaging minimisation, and harmonised labelling. The 2025 revision of the Waste Framework Directive requires companies to reduce retail consumption by 30% per capita by 2030. The updated Extended Producer Responsibility scheme makes it mandatory for textile and footwear retailers to manage the collection, sorting, and recycling of waste. 

On top of committing to circular products, there is a developing policy framework for environmental reporting in Europe. Large retailers are legally required to take this reporting seriously, as stated in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). 

EMAS for retail – Five benefits

In a constantly evolving regulatory context, the Eco-Management Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a verified tool with a step-by-step guide for environmental benchmarking and management.  

How can the EMAS system support retail companies of all sizes and across locations? 

#1 – Customise and track environmental management targets 

Even for companies that have processes in place for reducing waste, there are EMAS indicators, templates, and checklists for scoring and setting measurable targets to reduce energy, CO₂ emissions, water, packaging, or land use. This initial internal assessment provides a baseline for monitoring performance and strategic decision-making going forward.  

The EMAS Easy toolbox has been used by retailers to set environmental targets, which in turn, have reduced packaging weight and waste, introduced on-site photovoltaics and natural refrigerants, among other improvements.  

#2 – Cut waste (and cost) along the supply chain 

EMAS-registered organisations must incorporate and operationalise environmental requirements into supplier contracts and codes of conduct. The EMAS User Guide offers guidance on green procurement – reducing cost and environmental impact along the supply chain.  

Following the EMAS scheme, a retailer can update rules related to packaging, chemicals, on-site solar power generation, and so forth. Then, EMAS experts can provide instructions and procedures for checking supplier compliance.  

#3 – Manage expectations as business grows 

A single EMAS registration can apply to companies operating in multiple sites (i.e., a multi-site registration). With regular support from an EMAS contact point in the country of the HQ location, retailers can centralise and coordinate environmental compliance roles, KPI monitoring, and reporting across different sites. This standardised multi-site compliance framework uses a verification sampling method that can be adapted depending on the location. 

Following the User Guide, major supermarket chains have applied the EMAS method to make sure stores and warehouses adapt to using 30% recycled content in all own-brand plastic packaging.  

#4 – Keep up with regulatory change 

With EMAS guidance, companies can stay informed on changes in the EU regulatory landscape and avoid unexpected fines or operational disruptions associated with non-compliance.  

EMAS tools are particularly useful for smaller retailers, who may not have in-house legal or compliance support. An e-commerce retailer can create a documented EMAS procedure for using the right size and material for all packaging orders – in other words, turning legal or policy expectations (e.g., PPWR) into store-level processes. 

#5 – Inspire trust in consumers  

EMAS is not just a guide for operationalising and monitoring environmental management; it helps companies be transparent with consumers and stakeholders. All EMAS-registered organisations must prepare EMAS environmental statements, which are validated by an accredited certification entity before being published on the company’s website.  

A dedicated sustainability webpage (with a downloadable statement) is also a marketing asset that distinguishes a company’s sustainability claims from green washing. These documents also meet EU sustainability reporting standards, which means companies can use these documents to support their mandatory or voluntary reporting (instead of duplicating the effort). 

EMAS reinforces links in the supply chain

Europe’s retail industry sits at the nexus of changing EU policies, environmental conditions, and market realities. This makes the sector primed to be a driver of Europe’s climate-neutral, competitive, resource-efficient future.  

EMAS is here to help retailers operating in Europe be compliant and competitive. Join EMAS and check out the website for more sector-specific tools and success stories.

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