From targeting net zero emissions to reducing or eliminating single-use plastics use and creating innovative ways to fight food waste and promoting recycling, grocery retailers and wholesalers are fighting the good fight for the environment while being keenly aware of social issues facing the communities they serve and the workers they employ.
Indeed, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, sustainability has remained at the forefront of American consumers’ concerns, with 69% of supermarket shoppers saying they try to reduce their impact on the environment as much as possible, according to a report released by the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council (CCRRC) of North America.
“With consumers increasingly considering and acting on sustainability issues when it comes to patronage and purchases, now is the time for supermarkets to actively examine the opportunities and challenges facing the industry, to best align with these growing consumer feelings,” said Michael Sansolo, research director of CCRRC North America. “Shoppers want local supermarkets to help them practice sustainability, and not doing so could mean losing shoppers down the road.”
Here are some of the latest initiatives being taken by leaders in the grocery industry to meet their sustainability goals.
