Kroger: Earth Day, what? We’re doing Earth Month

One day in April to focus on preserving the Earth is not enough for one of the largest supermarket companies in the U.S.

The Kroger Co. is celebrating Earth Day the entire month of April with its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation making contributions to World Wildlife Fund and the Arbor Day Foundation.

“At Kroger, we support healthy, thriving communities during Earth Month and every day through our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste impact plan,” Kroger’s Keith Dailey said in a news release. Dailey is Kroger’s chief sustainability officer and group vice president of corporate affairs.

Through April 30, shoppers can round up their purchases to the nearest dollar amount at checkout to benefit WWF, with The Kroger Co.'s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation matching customer donations up to $50,000. All donations made during April will go directly to WWF, a global conservation organization working in 100 countries and with 5 million members. Funds will benefit WWF’s conservation and sustainability efforts in communities across the country and around the world.

Related podcast episode: Kroger's data-science company on shopper personalization

The Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is also supporting efforts to increase tree canopies in communities affected by extreme weather, including Shreveport, La., and Bowling Green, Ky., with a $50,000 contribution to the Arbor Day Foundation. The donation will support the distribution of hundreds of trees in each community. Expanding the tree canopy in these areas will help combat impacts from natural disasters like hurricanes and flooding, according to the release.

This Zero Hunger | Zero Waste impact plan emphasizes the role Kroger plays across the food system as an employer, food processor, retailer, healthcare provider and more, according to the release. In the first five years of the impact plan, Kroger and its associates have achieved:

• $1.65 billion in giving to hunger relief, which includes 500 million pounds of surplus food donated, for a total of 2.3 billion meals directed to communities.
• $54.6 million in grants from the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation.
• $5.2 million in Innovation Fund grants for social entrepreneurs through the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation's signature program.

To download Kroger’s 2022 ESG report, visit here.

The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is a 501c3 public charity founded in 2018.