Southeastern Grocers has committed to increasing sustainability for its Own Brand packaging by the end of 2028.
The recent announcement is in response to feedback provided by SEG’s customers, associates, and community members who expressed their desire to see more sustainable packaging as their top sustainability concern.
As part of its pledge, SEG will overhaul its Own Brand packaging by eliminating the use of polystyrene, make all packaging reusable, recyclable, or industrially compostable, and include an average of 30 percent post-consumer recycled material in all packaging.
“At Southeastern Grocers, we value feedback from our customers, associates and communities and prioritize the matters that mean the most to them,” said Anthony Hucker, president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, in a statement. “We heard clearly that sustainable packaging is among their top concerns, and we listened. In response, we’re working with our supplier partners to establish sustainable packaging goals and meet our commitments in 2028.”
In addition to implementing sustainable packaging for its Own Brand products, SEG is partnering with How2Recycle, a standardized labeling system for packaging that clearly communicates recycling instructions to consumers based on packaging specifications.
How2Recycle takes the guesswork out of recycling and is designed to follow guidance from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. To begin this new partnership, SEG will start adding How2Recycle’s label to its Own Brand product packaging to help educate customers on how to best recycle the packaging and prevent more material from going to the landfill.
Related: New Seasons Market Transitions to Environmentally Preferable Packaging; Chobani Launches Paper Cup.