Publix fishing for more sustainable seafood

With more than 1,000 stores in the Southeast, Publix Super Markets celebrated Earth Day with a $160,000 effort to make shrimp aquaculture more sustainable.

The grocery chain says it is focused on improving the conditions associated with shrimp aquaculture. The donation to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership will fund research to improve fisheries and help shrimp aquaculture in southeast Asia become more sustainable.

“As a retailer passionately committed to eco-savvy practices, our support of SFP speaks directly to our sustainable philosophy of meeting today’s demands without compromising what’s essential for tomorrow,” said Maria Brous, Publix media and community relations director. “We are uniquely positioned to share information with our customers to enrich the quality of life for our communities and aquatic ecosystems, all while doing our part to preserve and conserve.”

Publix currently purchases shrimp from suppliers that have been certified as sustainable by one of two globally recognized certification groups – Global Aquaculture Alliance or Aquaculture Stewardship Council.

Other sustainable efforts include the company’s commitment to reusable shopping bags. Publix has sold reusable bags for more than 20 years, and more than 36 million since 2007. The company’s initiatives to reduce the use of paper and plastic grocery bags used at checkout include: improved training for front service clerks; communication campaigns to encourage the use of reusable bags; and the distribution of free reusable bags through various partnerships. These initiatives have helped reduce the company’s use of paper and plastic grocery bags by over 1 million per day.

In an average month, Publix saves over 40 million paper and plastic grocery bags thanks to customers opting for Publix reusable bags. Earlier this month, the company crossed a major milestone with the help of their customers opting for reusable bags. Together they’ve helped save more than 4 billion paper and plastic bags. In an effort to continue promoting the benefits of reusable bags, during the week of Earth Day, Publix customers who purchase three reusable bags will receive one free reusable bag.

Publix is privately owned and operated by its 175,000 employees, with 2014 sales of $30.6 billion. Currently Publix has 1,099 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina.