Sustainability Journey

Our sustainability efforts are not something we often shout about. I think a lot of that comes from not wanting to sound like we’re bragging. (We are Minnesotans, after all.) And we certainly don’t want to sound like we have it all figured out. (Hint: we don’t.) While we know there is always much more to be done on our sustainability journey, I am extremely proud of the work our teams do to reduce our company’s carbon footprint. It started many years ago with environmentally friendly choices we made around using LED lighting in our stores, reducing emissions with updated refrigeration systems, and creating a Reuse & Reward program that encourages reusable bag usage in our stores, to name a few.

In more recent years, our sustainability efforts have expanded to include implementing an organic recycling program, introducing sustainable takeaway containers in our delis, and significantly reducing food waste through food donations totaling nearly 6 million pounds per year to local food shelves and farmers.

As I shared earlier, we know there is always more to do. And our teams continue looking for opportunities to elevate your shopping experience while also enhancing our overall sustainability. One recent example is the launch of new Seal Fresh packaging for all of our beef and pork. There are many great benefits to this new packaging, and because the product stays fresh longer, it helps all of us reduce our food waste (see story on page 10).

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 30 to 40% of our country’s food supply goes to waste every year, which also means water, energy, and other resources are wasted that went into producing those foods. As we continue to focus on reducing food waste, our deli team has recently partnered with Phood Solutions. Their innovative technology utilizes camera vision and artificial intelligence to help our team members quickly scan and weigh food as it goes into our hot bars and then again before any food is discarded. In doing so, early results show we will further reduce our food waste by nearly 150,000 pounds every year (see story on page 13).

Another sustainability effort we are proud of is the use of CO2based refrigeration systems at our newest stores, including our Highland Bridge store in St. Paul. At that store alone, we expect to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by 540 metric tons per year because of this state-of-the-art refrigeration system. That is equivalent to the annual electricity usage of 94 homes. Because of this effort, we were honored to earn the Environmental Protection Agency’s coveted GreenChill platinum award.

We know sustainability is a never-ending journey, and we look forward to finding even more ways to further reduce our environmental footprint.

Sincerely,

Tres Lund president and ceo