Food Lion recognized for ongoing sustainable leadership
Food Lion has earned the Energy Star Partner of the Year Award from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy for a 23rd consecutive year. The omnichannel grocery retailer, which has more than 82,000 associates across 1,100-plus stores throughout 10 Southeastern and mid-Atlantic states, is the only company in the nation to receive the honor for such a streak, according to a news release.
EPA sponsors the Energy Star program annually, recognizing organizations for outstanding leadership and advocacy of energy preservation to promote a cleaner future. Award recipients range from Fortune 500 companies to school districts and are industry leaders in the production, sale and adoption of energy-efficient products, homes, buildings, services and strategies. Through the Energy Star recognitions, collaborative efforts are gathered on a large scale in the fight against climate change and safeguarding public health, the release said.
Food Lion says it converted overhead lighting from fluorescent to LED in 224 stores in 2023. Now, 95% of Food Lion’s 1,108 stores have more sustainable lighting with upgrades planned in 2024 for the remaining locations.
Lighting upgrades at the retailer began in 2015 and have saved over 892 million kilowatt-hours, the release said. Additionally, Food Lion says its reduction in energy usage since 2000 is equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions of 123,114 homes’ electricity use for one year, the equivalent of charging 76.9 billion smartphones or upgrading 23.9 million incandescent lamps to LED.
“We created our commitment to sustainability around immense care for the towns and cities we serve and an energy-efficient future,” Matt Yates, vice president of brand strategy for Food Lion, said in the release. “By including the disciplines embedded in our DNA to turn the lights off when leaving a room and making sure freezer doors close completely not only establish good business practices, but also a solid framework to deepen our commitment to sustainability.”
Food Lion increased its allocation of funds for overhead LED lighting installation projects in stores by more than 13% in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the release. More than 900 of Food Lion’s 1,108 stores are Energy Star certified, conserving energy and resources by generating fewer gas emissions than typical buildings.
From a broader sustainability standpoint, the retailer is also reducing its carbon emissions footprint through recycling and food waste efforts. Over the past year, Food Lion recycled more than 8,000 tons of plastic materials, while approximately 19,000 tons of food waste was diverted through methods including animal feed, anaerobic digestion and compost recycling, the release said.
“As we accelerate historic efforts to address climate change, public-private partnerships will be essential to realizing the scale of our ambition,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in the release. “I applaud this year’s Energy Star award winners for working with EPA to deliver a clean energy future that saves American consumers and businesses money and creates jobs.”
