Albertsons reduces carbon, energy and waste

Albertsons Companies Inc. took a variety of steps to improve its environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance in fiscal 2022.

The supermarket giant has released its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, highlighting the company’s ESG progress during 2022.

Highlights from the Albertsons 2023 ESG Report for fiscal year 2022 across the company’s focus areas of planet, people, product, and community include:

Planet

• Reduced carbon emissions in operations by 21% between 2019 and 2022.
• Completed more than 1,100 energy efficiency projects across its operations in 2022 to reduce energy demand. Projects included installing LED lighting retrofits, doors on refrigerated cases, and building management systems.
• Completed more than 85 refrigeration projects across its operations in 2022 to transition stores to lower-global-warming-potential refrigerants.
• Recycled more than 850 million pounds of cardboard and 27 million pounds of plastic film and bags in 2022.

People

• Launched a company-wide inclusion index.
• Launched the company’s eighth associate resource group, DiverseABILITY, which focuses on providing awareness, celebration and opportunities for people with diverse abilities, their caretakers and allies.
• Trained over 15,000 employee leaders through “Leading with Inclusion” workshops, designed to heighten awareness around bias and provide tools to support a more inclusive work environment.

Product

• Achieved the goal to provide standardized recycling communications on more than 7,000 pricate-label packaged products through “How2Recycle” labels and QR codes.
• Leveraged artificial intelligence technology across nearly all Albertsons Cos. stores to accurately order and produce the correct amount and assortment of products for customers and reduce unsold food.
• Diverted more than 321 million pounds of food and trimmings from landfills through composting, upcycling solutions and anaerobic digestion, which turns food waste into a rich soil supplement.

Community

• Enabled 254 million meals through store food donations and Albertsons Cos. Foundation’s Nourishing Neigbors program, totaling more than 950 million meals since 2019.

• Raised more than $40 million through Nourishing Neighbors, enabling 188 million meals in 2022.
• Improved access to nutritious food by rolling out a new online service for Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) recipients that enables SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) customers to use their benefits when purchasing groceries online.

"Our latest report further solidifies our long-standing commitment to support the thousands of communities we serve and the planet we share,” said Vivek Sankaran, CEO of Albertsons Cos. “In 2022, we made meaningful progress against our commitments, further aligning what we do with who we are as a company. We will continue to challenge ourselves to lead positive change as we build upon this momentum to create better lives, vibrant neighborhoods and a healthier planet.”

As of June 17, 2023, Albertsons Companies Inc. operated 2,272 retail food and drug stores with 1,726 pharmacies, 401 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The Company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia with 24 banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci's Food Lovers Market.