Giant Food and impact technology company Divert announced Tuesday that they have together processed more than 30.8 million pounds of wasted food in the first year of collaboration, mitigating nearly 1,400 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Last year, Divert launched a wasted food recycling program with Giant to reduce the amount of organic waste going to landfill. Giant’s stores mark down, repurpose, or donate unsold edible food to local food banks whenever possible. For the food that cannot be repurposed or donated, Divert recycles it by processing the wasted food into renewable energy.
“We recognize our responsibility as a leader in the grocery space to make a positive impact on the environment and tackle waste reduction," said Diane Hicks, SVP of operations at Giant Food, in a statement. "We're proud of the success of our collaboration with Divert thus far and look forward to continuing our work together and expanding our efforts toward a healthier planet."
The collaboration has expanded to include all 165 stores under the Giant banner across Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., processing on average 500 pounds of wasted food each day per store.
"Wasted food is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and can cost the average grocery store about $40,000 in lost profit daily," said Ryan Begin, CEO and co-founder of Divert, in a statement. "Giant Food shares our commitment to tackling these issues through wasted food prevention and food donations that benefit our environment, communities, and ultimately, retailers' bottom lines."
Giant and Divert intend to expand the partnership in the coming year to further increase diversion and donation efforts for Giant's divisions.
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