April 23, 2020
ShopRite Recognizes 50th Anniversary of Earth Day
In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, ShopRite reaffirms its own longstanding commitment to helping the environment and supporting sustainability in the communities where ShopRite stores operate.
ShopRite has a more than 40-year history of working on sustainability measures and investing in communities. And while this year’s Earth Day may look a little different, ShopRite continues to work year-round on a variety of important efforts to reduce food waste, increase recycling efforts and organize tree plantings.
“We are proud to mark the half-century anniversary of Earth Day by taking time to highlight our own record of environmental efforts at ShopRite,” said Robert Zuehlke, Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility for ShopRite. “ShopRite is always working behind the scenes to make our stores more sustainable and support the neighborhoods our stores serve.”
Recognized for Reducing Food Waste
ShopRite stores donated 5,000 tons of fresh food to community food banks last year while composting and diverting another 10,000 tons of food waste from landfills. ShopRite has been so successful at keeping food waste from landfills that Organix Recycling, the largest food waste recycler in the US, recently presented ShopRite with its inaugural Pioneer Award. ShopRite was recognized for expanding and improving its food waste diversion program with more environmentally sustainable options, including sending more food waste to local and regional farms. The Environmental Protection Agency also this week recognized five ShopRite stores in South Jersey for their work in reducing food waste.
More than Four Decades Recycling
ShopRite has operated its own recycling facility for more than 40 years, recycling more than 2.6 million tons of materials since its creation in the late 1970s. The commitment to recycling today extends across the supermarket, with dedicated recycling bins at all stores and a new focus on private label products.
Late last year, ShopRite introduced a range of new Own Brands products featuring a special How2Recycle label developed by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. ShopRite has worked with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and its easy-to-read How2Recycle label is an important part of ShopRite’s sustainable packaging efforts. The label is appearing on some of the new ShopRite Own Brands items including Paperbird™ paper and home-cleaning products and Bowl & Basket foods and dairy products.
Plans to Plant 25,000 Trees
Through a special partnership with Kimberly-Clark and One Tree Planted, ShopRite is part of an ambitious plan to plant 25,000 trees in 2020. Many of those trees will be planted in the Pine Barrens with the help of ShopRite Green Teams, which are made up of store associates who support sustainability efforts in their stores and communities. ShopRite stores are home to more than 100 Green Teams, and many of those Green Teams participate each year in ShopRite sponsored community cleanups. More than 55,000 volunteers have dedicated time to Earth Day Challenge-community cleanups over the past decade.
ShopRite also sponsors nearly 30 regional environmental organizations including EarthShare New Jersey, Clean Ocean Action and The Audubon Society. ShopRite was proud to be the recipient of EarthShare New Jersey’s 2019 Environmental Leadership Award.
To find out more about ShopRite’s environmental efforts, visit https://www.shoprite.com/sustainability2020