CINCINNATI – A recent survey of Kroger shoppers conducted by 84.51˚, Kroger's data analytics subsidiary, found that food waste prevention is top of mind for many consumers as they eat together as a family. 

The survey identified: 

  • Most shoppers are eating more meals together as a family 

  • Nearly 3 out of 4 are eating meals prepared at home multiple times a day, with more than half of those meals requiring a moderate to high amount of preparation 

  • 35% strongly agree they are more conscious of food waste since the onset of COVID-19 

  • Nearly half cite food expiration as the biggest cause for food waste during the pandemic 

"The past several months have demonstrated just how much meals matter, especially when they're prepared and enjoyed with family and friends," said Keith Dailey, Kroger's group vice president of corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer. "As customers continue to rediscover their passion for making food and gathering around the dinner table, Kroger will be there to provide food inspiration and easy ways to join our mission to create a world with zero hunger and zero waste." 

Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste program offers several tools to help shoppers be more conscious about their food waste. Initiatives of the program include: 

  • Reference Kroger's Simplified Date Labels: In 2020, Kroger's manufacturing plants and co-packing suppliers aligned to the company's plan to standardize date labels for Our Brands food products, providing simpler, easier-to-understand labels that result in less household food waste. 

  • Access Food Waste Resources on Kroger.com: Customers can visit Kroger.com for food waste prevention resources, including fridge organization tips, freezer-friendly facts, meal prep planners and fresh, waste-free recipes. 

  • Recycle in Stores with Kroger's Plastic Film Recycling Program: Customers can recycle single-use plastic bags, outer package wrapping, plastic cereal box liners and shipping materials through our free, instore plastic film recycling program. In the past three years, the program has recycled more than 180 million pounds of plastic. 

  • Recycle from Home with Kroger's Simple Truth Recycling Program: Kroger's Simple Truth Recycling Program offers customers a free and simple way to recycle the flexible packaging of more than 300 products from Simple Truth, America's largest natural and organic brand, without leaving home. Kroger invites customers to sign up for the program at TerraCycle.com/SimpleTruth. 

Sixteen of Kroger’s largest suppliers also recently signed on to the 10x20x30 initiative to identify and reduce food loss and waste from their supply chains. Kroger joins more than 10 of the world's largest food retailers and providers as a founding member of 10x20x30, committing to engage at least 20 suppliers in a holistic approach to halve food loss and waste by 2030. 

10x20x30 was launched at a 2019 food loss and waste summit hosted by Champions 12.3, a voluntary coalition of executives from business, government and civil society committed to raising ambition and motivating action to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 12.3, which calls for a 50% reduction in food loss and waste worldwide by 2030. 

"We're proud to partner with these leading suppliers that are committed to bold action, and we encourage other producers and CPG brands to join us," said Dailey. “It will take all of our collective action to realize our vision of a future free of hunger and waste.”