New Seasons Market has become the latest grocery retailer to join the U.S. Food Waste Pact, a joint initiative led by ReFED and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to reduce food waste throughout the supply chain.
New Seasons Market joins 26 other food businesses and organizations signing onto the pact’s voluntary agreement, which utilizes the “Target, Measure, Act” framework to facilitate industry collaboration and action to reduce food waste across the food system.
According to ReFED, 31 percent of food produced in the U.S. goes uneaten or unsold, with the vast majority becoming waste that gets sent to destinations like landfills, incinerators and sewer systems. The surplus food generated in the retail sector alone is equivalent to nearly six billion meals and is valued at $28.7 billion – giving retail signatories an opportunity to help their bottom lines and their communities.
“New Seasons has always been committed to reducing waste in our operations,” said Athena Petty, senior manager of sustainability at New Seasons Market.
“We’re committed to reducing our food waste by 50 percent by 2030, and we’re working hard to meet that goal, supported by our measurement practices and continual refinement of our internal processes. We look forward to joining the U.S. Food Waste Pact so we can learn from our peers and maximize our impact.”
In 2013, New Seasons Market became the first grocery store in the world to be B Corp certified, and it has demonstrated its strong commitment to sustainable practices through its focus on food waste reduction, packaging improvement and partnering with supply chain partners to support climate smart practices on farms and ranches.
As part of its participation in the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment (PCFWC), a public-private partnership focused on waste reduction along the West Coast of the U.S., New Seasons participated in two intervention projects, one of which projected $19,000 in saved costs as a result of upcycling products.
“We’re so pleased that New Seasons is joining the U.S. Food Waste Pact,” said Jackie Suggitt, VP of business initiatives and community engagement at ReFED.
“Their leadership as a signatory of the PCFWC helped achieve valuable results, and ReFED and WWF look forward to continuing that work with them through the Pact. Having them at the national table will enable more impact not only in the grocery retail sector but across the food system.”
New Seasons Market is the 27th business to join the U.S. Food Waste Pact. Other signatories are retailers Ahold Delhaize USA, ALDI U.S., Amazon Fresh, Kroger, Raley’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, Walmart Inc. and Whole Foods Market; trade associations FMI – The Food Industry Association and Western Growers Association; and distributors Organically Grown Company and Midwest Foods.
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