Expands Organic Waste Recycling to All Pacific Northwest Stores - Fred Meyer
In a significant move towards environmental sustainability, Fred Meyer, a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., has expanded its organics-recycling program with Divert Inc. across all 105 Fred Meyer stores in Washington and Oregon. This partnership aims to reduce food waste, improve sustainability, and create a more circular economy in the Pacific Northwest.
Since 2018, the collaboration between Fred Meyer and Divert has diverted over 5.4 million pounds of unsold food from landfills, preventing methane emissions and environmental harm associated with food disposal. The program uses Divert's proprietary process to prevent unsold food from going to the landfill while keeping microplastics out of the soil, thus supporting regenerative soil health.
One of the key contributions of this partnership is the increased food donations. The program improves visibility into unsold inventory patterns, enabling Fred Meyer to optimize ordering and increase donations to feed people in need. With Divert's data, Fred Meyer can identify patterns in unsold inventory, optimize ordering, and improve donation opportunities.
The organics recycling program also enhances operational efficiency within the stores. Divert's process improves employee experience and saves time and costs through automated sorting and data collection on food waste at the store level. This leads to significant efficiencies and time savings, according to Divert.
Moreover, the partnership provides Fred Meyer with increased visibility into opportunities to reduce waste and improve food recovery efforts. Divert collects actionable store-level data from its bins, which provides Fred Meyer with insights to reduce waste and improve sustainable practices continuously.
Todd Kammeyer, president of Fred Meyer, stated that the new partnership with Divert is a significant step forward in their journey towards a more sustainable future. The expanded program will be implemented across 105 Fred Meyer grocery stores in Washington state and Oregon, further accelerating Fred Meyer’s positive environmental and social impact.
Fred Meyer donates more than 5 million pounds of food annually to local food banks through its Food Rescue Program. Kroger, Fred Meyer's parent company, serves more than 11 million customers daily through a digital shopping experience and retail food stores under various banner names.
This partnership integrates technology-driven circular economy practices to create environmental, social, and economic benefits. Fred Meyer, with its expanded organics-recycling program, is one of the leading retailers taking steps towards a more sustainable future in the Pacific Northwest.
- embracing technology-driven solutions such as the collaboration with Divert, Fred Meyer is making strides in environmental-science, particularly in the realm of climate-change, by implementing a more circular economy in their food-and-drink sector.
- As part of their commitment to sustainable-living, Fred Meyer donates over 5 million pounds of food annually to local food banks, thereby contributing to the lifestyle of numerous communities while reducing waste.
- In their home-and-garden operations, the partnership with Divert improves the store's operational efficiency and soil health by preventing microplastics from entering the soil through the process of organics recycling, contributing to a more regenerative environment.
