Kroger Food Donations Reduce Waste and Disposal Costs

JULIE GALLAGHER

WASHINGTON — The Kroger Co.'s donation of more than 135 million pounds of food to America's Second Harvest during the last five years has contributed to its "triple bottom line," said Scot Hendricks, vice president of grocery merchandising. "There is the environmental benefit since all of that food didn't end up in a landfill," he told attendees during the Grocery Manufacturers Association Sustainability Summit here yesterday. "Kroger benefits since our waste disposal costs are reduced, and society benefits with safe and wholesome food that's efficiently distributed." America's Second Harvest distributes more than 2 billion pounds of shelf-stable and perishable food and grocery products to millions of hungry Americans. "Retail food donations for 2007 were more than 100 million pounds last year," he said. "If the top 40 retailers donated distressed meat, deli, dairy, produce and bakery products to food banks, we'd see an additional 500 million pounds coming into the network, and that product would also not be going into the landfills. That is a significant opportunity."

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