Sustainability at our service stations
We are taking active steps, and collaborating with others around the world, to reduce the environmental impact of our service station operations while providing customers with more sustainable choices to make life’s journeys better. This is in line with our Powering Progress strategy, which is transforming Shell into a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.
Our service stations are present in more than 80 markets around the world. We have different operating models across these markets, ranging from full ownership of service stations to brand licensing agreements. This page is focused on the sustainable activities of our company-owned service stations. We also encourage and support the third-party operators of our branded service stations to embrace similar efforts.
Achieving net zero emissions
Our mobility locations across the world play a vital role in enabling the essential everyday journeys made by millions of people. As well as providing customers with electric vehicle charging and lower carbon fuels in a growing number of locations, we are also improving the way our service stations are managed and operated to help reduce emissions.
This begins with how our service stations reduce their own emissions, with a sharp focus on improving energy management. We're utilising energy efficient design and equipment, such as incorporating LED lighting and low energy equipment to help improve performance. Additionally, our transition to door-fitted refrigeration units is playing a role in halving the energy use associated with displaying food and drink to our customers.
We're using solar energy to help power a significant number of our Shell-owned service stations. For example, in Malaysia we’ve collaborated with Cleantech Solar and already retrofitted around 300 service stations with solar panels with over 10 MW peak power generation capacity, reducing grid electricity demand by about 15%.
Encouraging energy efficient behaviours
We provide specific staff training to help promote energy-efficient behaviours and monitor the energy use of operations at our service stations. As part of these efforts, we are introducing new, more effective monitoring systems to help identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption. For example:
In Poland we are collaborating with Sescom to oversee energy use at our owned service stations. Smart metres have been installed at service stations across the country, with data being fed into a digital platform and monitored by experts. They analyse trends and irregularities, giving weekly feedback to station staff to help with energy optimisation and efficiency improvements.
In the 鶹ý, we collaborate with IMS Evolve to remotely manage energy consumption at 100 company owned service stations through their dedicated platform. This allows station staff to effectively control heating, ventilation, cooling, refrigeration and lighting, achieving an average 8% annual energy saving per station.
Respecting nature
Respecting nature is a core part of our Powering Progress strategy; at our service stations we focus on using water and other resources efficiently, as well as maximising reuse across our activities whilst protecting the environment. We embrace a holistic approach, which includes actively managing waste, driving towards a circular economy and improving our private label products to minimise their impact.
Reduce
In trying to reduce our plastic waste, we have removed unnecessary single-use plastics from bags, straws, stirrers and cutlery at over 40% of our company owned service stations. For example, plastic straws have been replaced with rice or paper alternatives, and cutlery changed to alternatives such as wood or bamboo.
Reuse
Central to our commitment to reduce the resources we use is an emphasis on reusing items wherever practical. Over 40% of our owned service stations encourage customers by offering discounts to those who bring reusable coffee cups or by offering water bottle refill stations.
Recycle
Our ambition is to increase recycling. We segregate the operational waste at almost half of our owned service stations to minimise what goes to landfill and maximise recycling. About the same proportion also offer recycling bins for customers to use.
One way we reduce food waste is by working with organisations enabling customers to buy and collect unsold food from our service stations at reduced prices that would otherwise have gone to waste, such as Too Good To Go in some European markets.
We are also reducing the impact of the services we offer at our service stations. For example, in Germany we are reducing freshwater use by installing reclaim units at rollover car washes. This helps us save over 500 million litres of freshwater per annum.
In collaboration with Green Antz in the Philippines, 13 of our service stations in Metro Manila have collection bins for plastic waste that is turned into 'eco-bricks'. These ‘eco-bricks’ are used in building local infrastructure and supporting community livelihoods. Currently, 93 of our service stations have incorporated 'eco-bricks' into their build.
In Singapore, almost half of our owned service stations are equipped with electronic waste recycling bins, collectively gathering an average of 15 tonnes of e-waste annually.
In South Africa, we work with Imagined Earth, using reverse vending machines to recycle 150 kg of materials per month, including bottles, caps and coffee cups, across 50 of our locations.
In Thailand, we are part of a national program that collects waste for recycling, with over 800 kg of plastic collected from 16 of our service stations each month.
Improving our private label products
We aim to use resources efficiently, minimise waste and to make it easier for customers to make more sustainable choices. Within our strategy, we have set a target to increase the amount of recycled plastic in our packaging to 30% and ensure that the packaging we use for our products is reusable or recyclable by 2030.
To help do this, we have been working on a programme to change our private label product packaging so more of it can be recycled.
In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, we have introduced a new range of our Shell Café packaging across all 280 service stations that is now 97% recyclable thanks to better design and use of materials.
Over 90% of our European car care packaging is recyclable, with the screen wash bottles containing 50% recycled plastic.
Protecting the environment
Protecting the environment has been an integral part of the way we do business for many years. We have worked to embed this sustainability commitment into our business processes and decision-making, as set out in our General Business Principles and our Commitment and Policy on Health, Security, Safety, Environment and Social Performance, whilst also meeting local regulation standards.
Our engineers implement protective measures consistent with our global design standards, which guide the construction and maintenance of our service stations. Those standards also cover the specifications for vital equipment such as underground storage tanks and leak detection systems, including monitoring and analysis to protect against leaks or spills of product.
We conduct thorough assessments throughout the lifecycle of our service stations to gauge their potential impact, look for opportunities to improve and identify any risks to the local environment, communities and sensitive biodiversity.
As the world’s leading mobility retailer, the size and reach of our business means that even small steps can help make a positive impact. Across Shell Mobility, we are continuing to find ways to make our operations more sustainable and encouraging customers to adapt their actions to do the same.
