Weis Markets Keeps Shrinking Environmental Impact
According to its recently released 2019 sustainability report, Weis Markets and its associates continued to make progress in lowering the company’s overall environmental impact last year. The company has reduced its overall greenhouse-gas emissions by 27% since 2008, the year it set sustainability benchmarks, and is on track so far surpass its goal of a 20% reduction by this year.
Weis’ report laid out the grocer’s sustainability progress in 2019, which included ongoing measures to lower truck-fleet fuel consumption, boost facility energy efficiencies, reduce refrigerant emissions and divert waste from landfills.
“Today, our associates are working to operate efficiently by conserving energy and reducing waste — an area of particular importance for us at a time when one-third of all food is thrown away,” said Weis Markets Chairman and CEO Jonathan Weis. “Our overall goal is steady, measurable progress. We will continue to invest in our sustainability program in 2020 and work to reduce our overall environmental impact in the communities we serve.”
Among Weis Markets’ 2019 sustainability achievements were diverting 38,950 tons of waste from landfills — almost three times the weight of the Brooklyn Bridge, the company noted. This total included:
- Donating more than 860 tons of products to local food banks through the company’s growing partnership with Feeding America. The donations are an important part of the grocer’s commitment as a U.S. Food Loss & Waste 2030 Champion
- Repurposing 1,360 tons of food waste to rationed cattle feed
- Earning recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill program recognition for outstanding refrigerant management in 11 stores.
- Achieving a company record-low refrigerant-leak rate of 7.2%, compared with the GreenChill partner average of 14.3%
- Recycling 28,651 tons of cardboard and paper and 897 tons of plastic bags
- Converting 27 locations from fluorescent to LED lighting, annually reducing electricity consumption by 300,000 kilowatt-hours per store