U.S. Department of Energy Honors Vallarta Supermarkets for Innovative Practices

Vallarta Supermarkets of Sylmar, Calif., one of the largest Latino-owned supermarket chains, has received the Hometown Hero award at the 7th Annual Innovation Awards ceremony part of the U.S. Department of Energy Los Angeles’ Better Buildings Challenge.

In 2020, Vallarta’s energy and water efficiency and sustainability efforts have yielded a 21% reduction in water use and a 0.5% reduction in energy use, as well as a 33% drop in waste going to landfills, representing some 4,800 tons, says the full-service independent grocery chain with 52 locations throughout California.

“We are proud to be recognized for adopting innovative practices that allow us to reduce our energy consumption and utility expenses across locations,” said Steve Netherton, chief information officer and VP of continuous improvement for Vallarta Supermarkets, in a release. “Vallarta not only provides fresh, quality food products to all of our communities, we’re also an industry leader in reducing our energy and water use.”

The Innovation Awards, part of the Los Angeles Better Buildings Challenge, recognizes LA’s best buildings in terms of leadership and contributions toward citywide sustainability. The Hometown Hero is awarded to a local business that has made an outsized contribution to the sustainability movement.

As the industry moves closer to a post-pandemic landscape, sustainability will likely be one of the hottest topics and greatest priorities for retailers and suppliers alike. As FMI’s report the Food Retailing Indus­try Speaks 2020 points out in its top 10 take­aways, the pandemic hasn’t derailed social responsibility. Just over half (53%) of food retailers surveyed have clear objectives and implementation time frames in place for reducing packaging waste, and 28% are working to create waste reduction goals. This is a significant jump from 2019, when 41% of participants said they had quantified goals for package waste reduction.

“Vallarta is serious about sustainability,” says the company website, which details its energy efficiency program that has led to a 15% reduction of electricity across the majority of its stores. The program has lowered Vallarta’s energy usage by 9 million kWh—the equivalent of reducing greenhouse gas CO2 by 6.4 metric tons, it says.

“As business leaders and neighbors in our communities, we’re committed to doing all we can to reduce our impact on the environment, while providing a shopping experience that our customers can feel great about,” says the company in the “Green Initiatives” section of its website. “Some of our sustainability initiatives are right out in front for everyone to see, like LED lighting, more efficient windows and doors, as well as doors on our refrigerated cases. Not only do these kinds of improvements make the in-store shopping experience more pleasant, but the energy savings reduce operational costs that help us keep our prices low.”