If you would like to send us an article, contact Margaret Stacey
Kroger Announces Sustainability Goals for 2020
(UNITED STATES, 7/12/2016)
The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) has announced new and expanded sustainability commitments to increase responsible sourcing and improve eco-stewardship by 2020.
Kroger's sustainability goals include:
Expanding their 100% sustainable seafood commitment
Achieving the EPA's "zero waste" threshold of 90% in all facilities
Optimizing 100% of corporate brand packaging
Transitioning toward a 100% cage-free egg supply chain
By 2020, Kroger will optimize packaging in corporate brands.
"Our goal is to be a positive force for change in our communities and to drive sustainability and innovation across the supply chain," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "We believe that our 2020 goals set the course for this important, ongoing journey."
Rodney McMullen
Kroger's chairman and CEO.
"Our tenth annual sustainability report highlights our associates' commitment to make a difference for our communities, our planet and each other," said Mr. McMullen. "The report outlines Kroger's growing focus on responsible sourcing and our progress in the fight against hunger, reducing our carbon footprint and moving toward "zero waste" in our stores and facilities.
Kroger has extended and expanded its commitment to wild caught sustainable seafood procurement and its work with WWF. Its new commitment now includes all wild-caught species and states that, by 2020, Kroger will source:
100% of its wild-caught seafood from fisheries that are Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified, in MSC full assessment, in comprehensive Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), or certified by other GSSI‐recognized programs
Kroger will preferentially source MSC certified wild-caught seafood and, by 2020, Kroger will source at least 90% of its volume from fisheries that are MSC certified
Through the design optimazed process, Kroger will strive to increase the recyclability of corporate brand manufactured plastic packaging.
As of its initial assessment, Kroger is currently sourcing 83% of its wild-caught fresh and frozen species by volume under these criteria, with 59% of its total volume coming from MSC certified fisheries.
Kroger is committed to continue to source 100% of shelf‐stable tuna from ISSF participating companies.
In addition, Kroger is committed to continue to source 100% of shelf‐stable tuna from the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) -participating companies. Annually Kroger will be reviewing ISSA member companies' ISSF compliance reports to support progress and improvement in tuna fisheries globally.
Further, Kroger has extended and expanded its commitment to farm-raised seafood. Kroger will source farm-raised seafood that has been certified by the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) program. For farmed species that are corporately procured, Kroger will source BAP 4-Star certification by 2020.
Kroger's 10th annual sustainability report is now available here.
About Kroger
The Kroger Company is an American retailer founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the country's largest supermarket chain by revenue (USD 109.83 billion for fiscal year 2015), second-largest general retailer (behind WAlmart), and twenty-third largest company in the United States.
Kroger is also the fifth largest retailer in the world. (Photo: Mike Kalasnik/CC BY-SA 2.0)
As of December 2015, Kroger operates, either directly or through its subsidiaries, 2,778 supermarkets and multi-department stores. Kroger maintains markets in 34 states, with store formats that include supermarkets, superstores, department stores, 786 convenience stores and 326 jewlery stores. Kroger-branded grocery stores are located throughout the Midwestern and Southern United States. Kroger operates 37 food processing or manufacturing facilities, 1,360 supermarket fuel centres and 2,122 pharmacies.
(UNITED STATES, 7/12/2016)
Print
