The US Environmental Protection Agency defines zero waste as diverting 90% of operational waste from landfills. Giant Eagle has already achieved more than 60% waste diversion throughout its retail operations via efforts like:
As we aim to achieve zero waste by 2025, we're undertaking numerous incremental efforts including continually evolving our food donation efforts. We have a longstanding history of redistributing nutritious foods from our stores to regional food banks. Giant Eagle is actively building on this strong foundation by expanding both the types of food it can donate and the number of stores that contribute donations. We're proud to share our waste reduction progress so far:
We created Full Plates, Zero Waste to help give our neighbors access to fresh, healthy meals. Better yet, it allows us to reduce food waste by connecting neighbors in need with nutritious food before it's no longer edible. We aim to donate 80 million meals between 2021 and 2025 while achieving zero waste in our operations.
Did you know that nearly 40% of food produced in the US goes to waste? At the same time, one in seven people across our communities is considered food insecure. Through diligent work by our Team Members and partnerships with organizations across our communities, we are committed to keeping food out of landfills and getting it to people in need.