Spotlight on Sustainability: CET’s Feature in Waste 360
We’re thrilled to announce that our efforts in food waste reduction were recently highlighted in Waste 360.
This recognition underscores our commitment to environmental sustainability and innovative waste management solutions.
Innovative Tracking: New Seasons Market’s Waste Reduction Journey
The article details the strides made by New Seasons Market, a Portland, Oregon-based grocer, in reducing food waste across its 20 stores. A significant part of their success story involves an internal technology team developing a software tracking tool.
This tool focuses on various metrics like item type and cost, offering insights that have improved ordering accuracy and identified trends in surplus food. Consequently, this has informed new waste prevention strategies. Additionally, a notable achievement was salvaging 20,000 pounds of chicken, thereby reducing CO2 emissions by 23.4 metric tons and saving 9.4 million gallons of water. All the while, this initiative created a new revenue stream from previously composted products.
CET’s Role in Advancing Food Waste Solutions
CET (The Center for EcoTechnology) has played a crucial role in assisting New Seasons and other retailers participating in The Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment (PCFWC). Consequently, CET provides technical support, helping businesses navigate challenges such as staffing shortages exacerbated by COVID-19.
Furthermore, CET’s involvement emphasizes the dual benefits of food waste reduction – environmental conservation and financial gains. Ultimately, by converting waste into new, revenue-generating products, companies like New Seasons have demonstrated the tangible benefits of sustainable practices.
Industry-Wide Impact: The Growing Focus on Food Waste Reduction
The article also highlights the broader context of food waste reduction efforts. With regulatory and competitive pressures increasing, more retailers are committing to ambitious goals. For example, Walmart aims for a 12% reduction by the end of 2022, while Kroger targets a 50% reduction. These commitments, alongside emerging policies and international targets like the United Nations’ goal to halve retail and consumer food waste by 2030, signal a significant shift towards sustainable retail practices.
The Future of Retail: Embracing Sustainability and Efficiency
Our feature in Waste 360 is not just a recognition of CET’s efforts but also a call to action for the industry. It exemplifies the power of collaboration, innovation, and commitment in addressing one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time.
