Kroger highlights achievements in sustainability report

CINCINNATI — Kroger has released its sixth annual sustainability report.

"Kroger associates embrace sustainability in their everyday business practices," Kroger chairman and CEO David Dillon said. "In 2011, our stores saved enough energy to power every single-family home in Columbus, Ohio, for a single year. We're proud to have donated the equivalent of 160 million meals to local food banks through our partnership with Feeding America, placing us among the top-tier donors. We continue our commitment to help make the world a better place in a variety of ways."

Some highlights of Kroger's environmental and social sustainability progress in 2011:

• 
  

  Kroger has saved more than 2.34 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, which equals 1.47 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. That equates to taking more than 292,000 cars off roads for one year;

  
  


• 
  

  In 2011, the company's Ralphs/Food 4 Less Division designed and built a unique resource recovery system, which is expected to convert 55,000 tons of unsold organics, annually, into renewable energy that will power its own facility;

  
  


• 
  

  Improved bagging techniques and increased use of reusable bags have prevented approximately 1 billion plastic bags from being used since 2008. In 2011, Kroger sold and provided customers with more than 5.3 million reusable bags, an average of 14,200 per day; and

  
  


• 
  

  Together, Kroger vendors and customers raised more than $5.5 million in support of women's health and breast cancer awareness programs.

  
  

To read the full report, click here.