Two Albertson’s stores diverting nearly all waste

Santa Barbara, Calif. - SuperValu, which owns Albertson’s, said Tuesday that two Albertson’s locations in Santa Barbara, Calif., have achieved zero waste classification in their daily operations.

Through a combination of innovative recycling programs, a food donation program and a joint organic composting program with the City of Santa Barbara, the two stores now divert all non-contaminated waste from landfills and incinerators. In total, over 95% of all waste products from both stores are recycled, reused or composted -- exceeding the 90% threshold commonly recognized as zero waste.

“Albertsons, and SuperValu as a whole, is committed to leading the way on environmental sustainability and diverting all possible waste from our Santa Barbara stores is a major accomplishment in this effort,” said Rick Crandall, director of sustainability at Albertsons. “In addition to keeping waste out of our landfills, we are charting a course for the future of our stores -- one that will not only help our environment and the communities we serve, but also the overall success of our business.”

Albertsons also partnered with the City of Santa Barbara to establish one of the first citywide composting programs in the United States, which is a key piece of their waste diversion efforts. As a result of this program the city will compost 4,000,000 lbs. of foodscraps from 120 program participants this year alone.

Another key component of the waste diversion program includes donating staple and perishable product that would otherwise go unused for area food banks. Through Albertsons Fresh Rescue Program, these two stores donate on average a total of 149,598 lbs. per year of food to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.