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April 23^rd, 2018

Giant Eagle Celebrates Earth Day With Increased Focus On Food Waste Diversion

Retailer Pilots Unique Animal Feed Program to Further Mitigate Food Waste.

PITTSBURGH — Food waste is a global issue that has a staggering impact on the environment. According to the National Resources Defense Council, nearly 40 percent of food in the United States is discarded, resulting in 33 million tons of greenhouse gas-emitting landfill waste, costing households, businesses and farms approximately $218 billion annually.

“At Giant Eagle, we understand that as a food retailer we have a critical role to play in reducing food waste, and bettering the environment,” said Giant Eagle Spokesperson, Jannah Jablonowski. “We strive to take a comprehensive approach to meeting this challenge through strong partnerships with area food banks, real-time food rescue agencies, and through innovative waste diversion initiatives like our recently launched Waste to Animal Feed Program.”

Last fall, in partnership with Organix Recycling, Giant Eagle rolled out a unique Waste to Animal Feed program to 20 of its Cleveland-area supermarket locations. In an effort to decrease the amount of food waste being sent to landfills, Giant Eagle diverts select bakery, dairy and deli waste that cannot be sold or donated to food banks, to be used as a cattle feed supplement. This practice can help feedlots and dairies reduce their feed expenses by up to 50 percent. To date, our Cleveland market has diverted more than 350,000 pounds of non-saleable bakery, dairy and produce items for animal feed.

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