Engagement
VCIM has actively engaged with Costco Wholesale, North West Company and Loblaw Companies on the issue of food waste to determine their current practices and help identify potential areas for improvement. We posed four main questions to each company:
- Do you work with food banks to repurpose unsold perishable foods such as produce, meat and dairy?
- Do you currently destroy unsold perishable food?
- Have you considered keeping track of precisely how much waste each store generates?
- Would you consider adopting a zero food waste target through a Reduce, Reuse, Recycle program?
Outcome
Costco replied that it donates non-perishable goods to local food banks and is exploring the possibility of donating perishable foods. Additionally, almost 7,000 tonnes of the company’s organic waste is repurposed to produce fertilizer, compost, biofuels and animal feed.
North West works with 20 charities and food banks to provide meal programs. Loblaw has a 25-year relation-ship with food banks and 300 corporate-owned stores have local partnerships. The company also keeps detailed records of food waste and is working to establish a food waste reduction target.
