Planet: Safeway Working Toward Zero Waste
At Safeway, our commitment to responsibly use resources includes thoughtful consideration of how we can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and recycle what was once considered trash. We are now working toward zero waste across all our operations.
Safeway’s supply operations facilities, which include distribution centers and manufacturing plants, took on the challenge to achieve zero waste and help us advance sustainability. Over half of our supply operations facilities are already zero waste: nine of our 13 U.S. distribution centers, and nine of our 20 U.S. manufacturing and food processing plants. Several others are close, thanks to the efforts and passion of the teams on site.
To qualify as zero waste, facilities must recycle or divert at least 90% of materials that would have previously been sent to landfills. Zero waste is considered achievable in locations with recycling facilities that include composting and/or bio-digestion.
Safeway is a founding member of the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council, which aims to standardize zero- waste practices. We are also an active member of the Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA), a cross-sector industry initiative led by the Food Marketing Institute, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the National Restaurant Association. FWRA focuses on the challenges of food waste to help shrink the grocery, manufacturing and restaurant sector’s environmental footprint while also addressing hunger in America.
Learn more about our recycling efforts as well as our other Planet initiatives, and then join the Facebook and Twitter conversation by using the #HeartOfSafeway hashtag.
