Cincinnati — The Kroger Co. continues to meet annual sustainability benchmarks, including reducing in-store energy consumption by 30% since 2000, the company reports in its fifth annual sustainability report.
Cincinnati — The Kroger Co. continues to meet annual sustainability benchmarks, including reducing in-store energy consumption by 30% since 2000, the company reports in its fifth annual Sustainability Report, which was released this week.
Highlights of Kroger’s sustainability progress in 2010 include:
• Kroger stores reduced overall energy consumption by 30% since 2000. That’s enough electricity to power every single-family home in Fort Worth, Texas for 1 year.
• Company-wide, including all facilities, Kroger has saved more than 2.2 billion kilowatt hours, which equals 1.41 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. That equates to taking more than 275,000 cars off roads for one year.
• Kroger completed its first wind energy project. Two wind turbines installed at Turkey Hill Dairy in Lancaster, Pa., will supply 25% of the dairy’s annual electricity needs. That will be enough power to produce 6 million gallons of ice cream for 1 year.
• Kroger’s manufacturing plants reduced the amount of waste sent to landfills by 30% since 2009 — a 22 million pound reduction.
• Improved bagging techniques and increased use of reusable bags saved an additional 159 million plastic bags. Kroger sold and provided customers with more than 5 million reusable bags, an average of 14,000 per day.
• Kroger stores, plants and distribution centers recycled more than 1.2 billion pounds of corrugated cardboard and paper.
• In partnership with customers, Kroger recycled 26 million pounds of plastic, a 180% increase in plastic recycling since 2007.
Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer, has 2,449 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s. The company also operates 785 convenience stores, 359 fine jewelry stores, 1,035 supermarket fuel centers and 40 food processing plants in the U.S.
For more information, visit www.kroger.com or www.kroger.com/sustainability.