The Kroger Co. is celebrating Earth Day throughout all of April, beginning with a contribution from its Zero Hunger, Zero Waste Foundation to the World Wildlife Fund. The company says it is also sharing progress on its Zero Hunger, Zero Waste milestones and introducing a new reusable bag campaign.
"Earth Month is more than a month of awareness, it's a chance to refocus our commitment to advance positive impacts for our planet," Keith Dailey, group vice president of corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer for Kroger, said in the news release. "Kroger is proud to support healthy, thriving communities during Earth Month and every day through our Zero Hunger, Zero Waste impact plan. We are excited to once again team up with WWF for Earth Month, and we are grateful to our customers who are joining our journey to protect our planet for generations to come."
From now through April 30, customers can round up their purchases to the nearest dollar amount at checkout to benefit WWF, with the Zero Hunger, Zero Waste Foundation matching customer donations up to $50,000. All donations made during the month of April will go directly to WWF, a conservation organization working in 100 countries and supported by 5 million members worldwide. Funds will benefit WWF's conservation and sustainability efforts in communities across the country and around the world, the release said.
"Over the past decade WWF has worked with Kroger to advance the company's sustainability efforts," Sheila Bonini, senior vice president, private sector engagement at World Wildlife Fund, said in the release. "We need a healthy planet to produce healthy food, and the generous support from Kroger and their customers helps WWF continue protecting the future of nature."
Kroger says it is committed to supporting healthy, thriving communities through its Zero Hunger, Zero Waste impact plan that emphasizes the role the retailer plays across the food system as an employer, food processor, retailer, health care provider and more. Since launching its impact plan in 2017, Kroger has given $1.3 billion in giving to hunger relief, which includes 582 million pounds of surplus fresh food rescued and donated more than 3 billion meals directed to communities, according to the release.
As part of its Zero Hunger, Zero Waste commitment, Kroger said it set a goal to establish food waste recycling programs in 95% of stores by 2025 for food that cannot be sold or donated. In 2023, Kroger achieved this goal two years early with the help of an ongoing, yearslong collaboration with Divert Inc., a company that creates technology and infrastructure to protect the value of food by keeping it out of landfills, the release said.
Divert's program eliminates the need to remove food from packaging in-stores, making it easier to recycle food that cannot be sold or donated and reduce the volume of food going to landfills. The food waste then goes on to be transformed into compost and renewable energy, while the packaging material is disposed of separately.
Related link: More about Kroger's efforts to reduce retail food waste
Beginning in April, Kroger will offer specially designed Zero Hunger, Zero Waste reusable bags featuring favorite Kroji characters. With the purchase of each bag, Kroger will donate $1 to the Zero Hunger, Zero Waste Foundation, which is committed to creating communities free of hunger and waste. Since 2018, the foundation has directed more than $59 million to organizations, innovators and changemakers across the country, the release said.
Related link: Learn more about Kroger's Zero Hunger, Zero Waste progress and download its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance Report