Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, a division of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced its latest milestones and results for Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, the company’s bold vision to end hunger in the communities it serves and eliminate waste across the company by 2025.
“Zero Hunger | Zero Waste is shaping the local discussion around how to end hunger and eliminate waste across America,” said Aubriana Martindale, Smith’s corporate affairs manager. “At Smith’s, we are intently focused on using our scale for good and we encourage our customers, associates and other businesses to join us.”
Kroger announced Zero Hunger | Zero Waste in September 2017. Since then, the retailer has worked relentlessly to drive change and conversations inside and outside the company. Through leadership, engagement and commitment, Kroger and Smith’s continue to make progress in its journey to achieve Zero Hunger | Zero Waste. Smith’s notable year to date 2022 milestones include:
Zero Hunger
- Smith’s donated more than 1.9 million meals to communities across the Intermountain West.
- Smith’s rescued more than 2.3 million pounds of safe nutritious food that could no longer be sold in its retail stores, or shipped from its distribution centers and manufacturing plants, for Feeding America® food banks.
- Smith’s is not just donating more food, but a more balanced plate through their industry leading Fresh Food donation program inclusive of departments such as meat, produce, dairy, bakery, and deli.
Zero Waste
- Smith’s diverted 38,000 tons from landfills across its seven-state footprint.
- Smith’s increased year-over-year food waste diversion by 24%.
- Smith’s achieved Zero Waste operations in both of their manufacturing plants located in Layton, UT and Henderson, NV.
- Smith’s has diverted 682 tons of plastic film and 22,300 tons of cardboard.
- Smith’s recycling efforts since 2017 marking the evolution of their Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact strategy has resulted in: 2.6 million trees saved; 772,000 cubic yards of landfill airspace spared; a reduction of 904,642,614 hours of electricity which is enough to power 75,000 homes; 675,500 metric tons of GHG emissions avoided; and a water savings of 1.5 million gallons of water, enough to meet the daily needs of 20,590,559 people.
- Kroger & Smith’s have committed to eliminating single-use plastic grocery bags from its family of stores by 2025.
- Kroger launched the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Innovation Fund, a program of The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, awarding $10 million in grants to innovators developing solutions to address hunger and prevent food waste. “It takes everyone working together to achieve a world with Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, and we are continuously inspired by our associates who are leading the way,” said Aubriana Martindale, Smith’s Manager Corporate Affairs.
To follow Kroger’s #ZeroHungerZeroWaste journey, please visit this site: https://www.thekrogerco.com/sustainability/zero-hunger-zero-waste/