Amidst the worry over toilet paper and disinfectant wipes, Stop & Shop has focused on more than just what’s on our shelves in 2020. This has been a big year to give back to the community through the environmental initiatives that are part of Restore. Focusing on offsetting our carbon footprint, planting trees, and giving back to the people within the community, Stop & Shop can leave a lasting imprint for those that matter most — you.
It may be surprising all that Stop & Shop got up to this year, but even in a pandemic, ongoing issues like our environment aren’t forgotten. To that end, Stop & Shop is proud to report on the effectiveness of those initiatives supporting sustainability, a cleaner planet, and a stronger community.
Reducing the impact of tailpipe emissions
People who fuel up at Stop & Shop gas stations get the automatic opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint thanks to Restore. Every time you fill up your car at Stop & Shop, the Restore program invests in carbon reduction projects, offsetting the emissions from your car. This initiative has already made a big impact. In 2020 alone, Stop & Shop has offset over 85,000 metric tons of carbon. This translates to the reduction of tailpipe emissions on over 165 million gallons of fuel.
Saving trees in a special way
Helping to plant trees is also a primary environmental initiative at Stop & Shop. Trees are a known defense against the harmful CO2 in the air because they naturally pull it out of our atmosphere. The more trees we have on our planet, the more potential we have to repair our air. Working in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, in 2020, Stop & Shop planted over 35,000 trees. As these trees grow, they’ll help remove pollution from the atmosphere to improve air quality and the health of those in the community.
Responding to the pandemic
Stop & Shop also turned its attention to the people within the local community. The pandemic put the needs of people at the forefront. Even as the Restore program continued to positively impact the environment, Stop & Shop also took time to support local food pantries. In 2020, $50,000 were donated to various, local organizations in need that helped lift up those suffering from the pandemic.
Seeing support through every lens
Making big strides in sustainability through Restore is only part of how Stop & Shop works to improve the local community. With a commitment to reducing waste that pollutes the land, in addition to pulling CO2 out of the air, Stop & Shop runs a few additional programs shoppers can take advantage of after gassing up their cars.
Billion Bag Reduction
This program works to reduce the use of plastic bags in stores. This is accomplished through more efficient bagging, as well as the “Better Bagging” campaign. Through these efforts Stop & Shop encourages shoppers to use alternative bagging options. Stop & Shop and its parent company are also a part of the Plastics Economy Global Commitment. The end-goal is to get plastic permanently out of the environment as a pollutant.
Food Loss and Waste Champions
With a commitment of reducing food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030, Stop & Shop and its sister companies are a part of the USDA’s and EPA’s United States Food Loss and Waste Champions. As a start to this commitment, Stop & Shop already diverts nearly 75 percent of the waste generated in stores to somewhere other than a landfill.
Green energy from food waste
Waste consisting of unsold food that can’t be donated has its own destination at Stop & Shop. These specific materials head to Stop & Shop’s green energy facility where it undergoes a unique process. Here food gets separated from its packaging before getting converted into green energy through an anaerobic digester. The green fuel produced helps power Stop & Shop’s distribution center in Freetown, Massachusetts.
Cardboard recycling
Stop & Shop saves trees, and limits cardboard waste through recycling. Every ton of cardboard recycled saves 17 trees, not to mention the oil, landfill space, energy, and water involved as well.
Another year to think about the environment
While we can’t predict what happens next, with Stop & Shop’s eye on the future of our planet, you can shop with us knowing we’re doing our part to give something back to the community we all live in. Here’s to 2021!