Albertsons Companies shared Monday the results of its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance Report, highlighting its progress and commitments to fight food insecurity in local communities and embed sustainability practices across its operations.
"Our latest report further solidifies our long-standing commitment to support the thousands of communities we serve and the planet we share,” said Vivek Sankaran, CEO of Albertsons, in a statement. “In 2022, we made meaningful progress against our commitments, further aligning what we do with who we are as a company. We will continue to challenge ourselves to lead positive change as we build upon this momentum to create better lives, vibrant neighborhoods and a healthier planet.”
Last April, Albertsons introduced its Recipe for Change framework, with strategies and goals designed to maximize the company’s positive impact across four pillars: Planet, People, Product and Community. Highlights from the 2023 Report for fiscal year 2022 include:
Planet
• Reduced carbon emissions in operations by 21 percent between 2019 and 2022.
• Completed more than 1,100 energy efficiency projects across its operations in 2022 to reduce energy demand; projects included LED lighting installation and building management systems.
• Recycled more than 850 million pounds of cardboard and 27 million pounds of plastic film and bags in 2022.
People
• Launched a company-wide inclusion index, which enables associates to share their individual perspectives and help foster a positive workplace culture.
• Debuted the company’s eighth associate resource group, DiverseAbility, which focuses on providing awareness, celebration, and opportunities for people with diverse abilities, their caretakers, and allies, according to the company.
• Trained over 15,000 leaders through “Leading with Inclusion” workshops, designed to heighten awareness around bias and provide tools to support a more inclusive work environment.
Product
• Achieved the goal to provide standardized recycling communications on more than 7,000 private-label packaged products through How2Recycle labels and QR codes.
• Leveraged artificial intelligence technology across nearly all Albertsons Cos. stores to accurately order and produce the correct amount and assortment of products for customers and reduce unsold food.
• Diverted more than 321 million pounds of food from landfills through composting, upcycling, and anaerobic digestion, which turns food waste into a rich soil supplement.
Community
• Enabled 254 million meals through store food donations and Albertsons Cos. Foundation’s Nourishing Neighbors program.
• Raised more than $40 million through its Nourishing Neighbors program.
• Rolled out an online service for SNAP EBT recipients to use their benefits when purchasing groceries online.
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