Kroger Co. recycled more than 1.2 billion pounds of corrugated cardboard and paper last year, according to the company’s fifth sustainability report.
In addition, Cincinnati-based Kroger and its customers recycled 26 million pounds of plastic — an 180 percent increase in plastic recycling since 2007.
Kroger’s improved bagging techniques and increased use of reusable bags saved an additional 159 million plastic bags, the report said, with the goal of sparing 1 billion bags by 2014.
The company also sold and provided customers with more than 5 million reusable bags, which is an average of 14,000 per day. Kroger said it expects to sell another 5 million reusable bags this year.
Since 2009, the company’s manufacturing plants have reduced the amount of waste sent to landfills by 30 percent — a 22 million pound reduction. Kroger manufacturing has also set a 2011 goal of reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills by 60 percent, using 2009 as a baseline.
Source: Plastic News
By Shawn Wright | WASTE & RECYCLING NEWS