CINCINNATI, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co.
(NYSE: KR) today announced its latest milestones and results for
Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, the company's bold vision to end hunger
in the communities it serves and eliminate waste across the company
by 2025.
"Zero Hunger | Zero Waste is shaping the national discussion
around how to end hunger and eliminate waste across America,"
said Jessica Adelman, Kroger's group vice president of
corporate affairs. "At Kroger, we are intently focused
on using our scale for good and
we encourage our customers, associates and other
businesses to join us."
Kroger announced Zero Hunger | Zero Waste in September 2017. Since then, the retailer has
worked relentlessly to drive change and conversations inside and
outside the company. Last year, Kroger was named sixth on
Fortune magazine's Change the World 2018 list, joining 50
big companies around the world that are also using their resources
to solve society's most complex issues.
Through leadership, engagement and commitment, Kroger continues
to make progress in its journey to achieve Zero Hunger | Zero
Waste. Notable 2018 milestones include:
Zero Hunger
- Kroger donated $328 million to
local communities in 2018, including more than $192 million in food and funds to end
hunger.
- Kroger provided a total of 316 million meals to communities
across the country.
- Kroger rescued 100 million pounds of safe nutritious food that
could no longer be sold in its retail stores, or shipped from its
distribution centers and manufacturing plants, for Feeding
America® food banks.
- Kroger increased meal donations through its Zero Hunger | Zero
Waste Food Rescue program by 10%.
- Kroger partnered with Oprah
Winfrey to donate one million meals to Feeding
America. Together with Winfrey's food line O, That's
Good!, Kroger pledged an additional one million meals to
Feeding America to help feed families across the
country.
Zero Waste
- Kroger accomplished 76% waste diversion, redirecting 2 million
tons from landfills across its 35-state footprint.
- Kroger increased year-over-year food waste diversion by
37%.
- Kroger achieved Zero Waste operations in 34 of its 36
manufacturing plants.
- Kroger increased total recycling by 19%.
- Kroger committed to eliminating single-use plastic grocery bags
from its family of stores by 2025. As of April 1, Kroger's QFC division in the Pacific
Northwest no longer offers customers single-use plastic bags.
- Kroger launched the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Innovation Fund, a
program of The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation,
awarding $1 million in grants to innovators developing
solutions to prevent food waste.
"It takes everyone working together to achieve a world with
Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, and we are continuously
inspired by our associates who are leading the way," added
Adelman. "Today, we are excited to not only share our
outstanding progress against our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste goals,
but to also recognize our Kroger 'Zero Heroes'
for uplifting our communities through their volunteerism."
Kroger's 2018 Zero Heroes include:
GROCERY
DIVISIONS
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Luke
Adams Arizona
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Amber
Winchester Kentucky
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Clarissa
Whitfield
Tennessee
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Fawad
Khan
California
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Doug
Oberhausen
Kentucky
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Booker
Johnson
Texas
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Renee
Morris
California
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Liz
Olson
Michigan
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Chris
Foreman
Texas
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Brad
Crowe
Colorado
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Gary
Dwiggins
Missouri
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Jade
Hughes
Virginia
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Matt
Hall
Georgia
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Dayzjah Sagapolu
and
Gus Sagapolu
Nevada
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Amber
Brask
Washington
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Suzanne
McDonnell
Illinois
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Charlotte
Sullivan
Ohio
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Terri
Gigliotti
Washington
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Mike
Smith
Indiana
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Tina
Huff
Ohio
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Charles Barthel
and
Mitchell Prince
Wisconsin
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Kristen
Honeycutt
Kansas
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MANUFACTURING
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Michael
Brown
County Oven Bakery
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Dave
Ross
Layton Dough
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Wendy
Cheatham
Westover
Dairy
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Karl
Smith
Kenlake
Foods
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Charlene
Hall
Pace Dairy
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CORPORATE
OFFICE
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Reid McCreary,
Melissa
Bailey, Tiffany Barker,
Stephen Eadicicco and
Lindsey Hasis
84.51
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Denise Haskamp,
Jeff
Pitzer, Devin Thomas,
Erin Neace and Randal
McClimans
Kroger Technology
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Dana
Urner
Merchandising
Ryan
McCloy
Supply Chain
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To follow Kroger's #ZeroHungerZeroWaste journey, sign up for
updates and visit Kroger Stories for the latest videos.
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose:
to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are nearly half a million
associates who serve nine million customers daily through a
seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 retail food stores
under a variety of banner names, serving America through food
inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste
communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and
investor relations site.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.