Ações sustentáveis aplicadas ao setor de varejo supermercadista: um estudo de caso na cidade de Pombal-PB.

Abstract

The growth of the world population leads to increased exploitation of natural resources and excessive consumption of products. Therefore, sustainable development is a necessary alternative to reduce environmental degradation and serves as a tool to ensure a better quality of life for present and future generations. In this regard, the present study aimed to diagnose sustainable actions practiced in the supermarket retail sector and propose improvements to the system. The methodology involved conducting qualitative and exploratory literature research, applying knowledge about Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) data, General Systems Theory (GST), reverse logistics, and eco-efficiency in a supermarket located in the municipality of Pombal-PB, including on-site visits to the supermarket and a semi-structured interview with an employee of the company's administration. As a result, the absence of sustainable measures in the retail supermarket and the lack of interest from entrepreneurs and employees to initiate such actions were observed, attributed to a lack of knowledge on the subject, where they blame the city management and the population's culture as the main barriers to adopting better actions. Among the proposed improvements, the following stand out: characterizing companies through the triple bottom line and implementing ISO 14001 to enhance the environmental management system. Additionally, some actions that can be adopted were presented, such as: changing marketing strategies, implementing eco-efficiency through actions like reverse logistics, implementing GST and ESG data that align with the sustainability tripod, contributing to income, the environment, and socio-economic issues.