Kroger Co.’s sustainability efforts are being fueled by recent gains, but the company is taking a careful approach by embracing only those initiatives that appear to have real substance, said David Dillon, chairman and chief executive officer of the Cincinnati-based retailer.
“We are absolutely committed to only doing things that are real, not just nice marketing,” Dillon told attendees at the Grocery Manufacturers Association Executive Conference here. “We want to do things that our customers will see as meaningful and transparent and will believe in us as a result.”
Dillon said he is proud that over the past 10 years Kroger has reduced energy use in stores on a per-square-foot basis by 30%, “which for us is gigantic.” He also pointed to a big reduction in food waste, citing perishable product that would previously have been discarded but is now increasingly being moved to local food banks.
Other secondary areas of progress include LEED certification of stores, reduced energy and waste in manufacturing plants, and solar and wind projects, he said.
“We’ve been inspired by some of the results we’ve achieved, and that’s given us some encouragement to move forward,” he said.
Kroger’s strategy includes “moving sustainability to a more collaborative process by working with suppliers,” he said.
Source: Supermarket News
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