Kroger Celebrates Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Achievements

CINCINNATI, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced its latest milestones and results for Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, the company's bold vision to end hunger in the communities it serves and eliminate waste across the company by 2025.

"Zero Hunger | Zero Waste is shaping the national discussion around how to end hunger and eliminate waste across America," said Jessica Adelman, Kroger's group vice president of corporate affairs. "At Kroger, we are intently focused on using our scale for good and we encourage our customers, associates and other businesses to join us."

Kroger announced Zero Hunger | Zero Waste in September 2017. Since then, the retailer has worked relentlessly to drive change and conversations inside and outside the company. Last year, Kroger was named sixth on Fortune magazine's Change the World 2018 list, joining 50 big companies around the world that are also using their resources to solve society's most complex issues.

Through leadership, engagement and commitment, Kroger continues to make progress in its journey to achieve Zero Hunger | Zero Waste. Notable 2018 milestones include:

Zero Hunger

• Kroger donated $328 million to local communities in 2018, including more than $192 million in food and funds to end hunger.

• Kroger provided a total of 316 million meals to communities across the country.

• Kroger rescued 100 million pounds of safe nutritious food that could no longer be sold in its retail stores, or shipped from its distribution centers and manufacturing plants, for Feeding America^® food banks.

• Kroger increased meal donations through its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Food Rescue program by 10%.

• Kroger partnered with Oprah Winfrey to donate one million meals to Feeding America. Together with Winfrey's food line O, That's Good!, Kroger pledged an additional one million meals to Feeding America to help feed families across the country. 

Zero Waste

• Kroger accomplished 76% waste diversion, redirecting 2 million tons from landfills across its 35-state footprint.

• Kroger increased year-over-year food waste diversion by 37%.

• Kroger achieved Zero Waste operations in 34 of its 36 manufacturing plants.

• Kroger increased total recycling by 19%.

• Kroger committed to eliminating single-use plastic grocery bags from its family of stores by 2025. As of April 1, Kroger's QFC division in the Pacific Northwest no longer offers customers single-use plastic bags.

• Kroger launched the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Innovation Fund, a program of The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, awarding $1 million in grants to innovators developing solutions to prevent food waste.

"It takes everyone working together to achieve a world with Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, and we are continuously inspired by our associates who are leading the way," added Adelman. "Today, we are excited to not only share our outstanding progress against our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste goals, but to also recognize our Kroger 'Zero Heroes' for uplifting our communities through their volunteerism."

Kroger's 2018 Zero Heroes include:

To follow Kroger's #ZeroHungerZeroWaste journey, sign up for updates and visit Kroger Stories for the latest videos.

At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirittm. We are nearly half a million associates who serve nine million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.