Kroger’s Fred Meyer Chain Offers New Sustainable Way to Shop

In 2017, The Kroger Co. launched an aggressive Zero Hunger Zero Waste plan with a goal of ending hunger in the communities it serves and eliminating waste companywide by 2025. Fast forward to 2022 and a new way to shop that is more sustainable and without waste is now available at Kroger’s Fred Meyer chain—bringing the retailer one step closer to its mission.

The Cincinnati-based grocer said customers can now walk into one of its 25 Kroger-owned Fred Meyer stores in the Portland metro area and purchase more than 20 products from leading consumer brands packaged in reusable containers thanks to its partnership with Loop, the circular reuse platform developed by TerraCycle.

Customers can purchase Loop-ready products in refillable, reusable containers—found in branded displays—and later return the empty packaging to the Loop collection bin located at each participating store. Loop will then pick up the empty containers to be cleaned, refilled and made available for purchase by a new customer. Customers will be charged a small packaging deposit upon purchase, and a full refund is given once the package is returned.

The partnership elevates Kroger’s leadership in waste reduction, officials said. "Kroger is committed to achieving lasting positive change for billions of people and for our planet,” Keith Dailey, Kroger's group VP of corporate affairs and chief impact officer, said in a statement. “To do this, we've developed a shared-value ESG framework that unlocks greater business value as we work collectively to create more resilient, equitable and sustainable systems.

Seeing the partnership as a milestone, Dailey said, "our pioneering and exclusive partnership with Loop is an illustration of this commitment, and we are honored to be the first grocery retail partner for Loop in the U.S. and work with Our Brands and consumer packaged goods partners to advance our mission."

The new Loop assortment includes a range of brands, including Arbor Teas, Cascade, Clorox, Gerber, Nature's Heart, Nature's Path, Pantene, Seventh Generation and Stubb's, as well as Kroger's own Simple Truth brand. Kroger said more brands are expected to be added.

"Our focus on innovative solutions as we continue on our Zero Hunger Zero Waste journey aligns with Loop's mission to create a convenient circular packaging platform," said Lisa Zwack, Kroger's head of sustainability, in a statement. "Customers are increasingly seeking out sustainable products and services that fit their lifestyle, and this collection makes it convenient."

Loop's movement to an in-store retail model began in Paris with Carrefour in December 2020. Loop launched a reusable packaging partnership with Burger King and Tim Hortons in select restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, respectively. 

"Loop's goal has always been to grow, scale and be accessible to consumers around the world," said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle and Loop, in a statement. "With the world's largest retailers bringing Loop to physical brick-and-mortar locations, we are giving consumers what they've been asking for since Loop was introduced in 2019—the ability to purchase the products they use every day in durable, reusable containers, with the convenience of shopping at their local market."

Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said in a statement when the company first launched Zero Hunger Zero Waste that it “is a vision for the America we want to help create with our associates, customers and stakeholders. This is our moonshot."