Therm Solutions Inc. says it has launched of a food-loss-diversion carbon credit project targeting grocery stores to reduce food waste at its source.
Listed on Verra’s VCS Registry, the project will redirect edible food intended for landfill from more than 1,300 grocery retail and 18 food distribution locations spanning seven U.S. states to donation centers, addressing the nation’s climate and food access crises, according to a news release.
Therm Solutions said the project expects to issue more than 112,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually in carbon credits, generated from the avoided landfill emissions. The carbon credits incentivize grocers to increase edible food donations, offering a solution to an environmental and humanitarian challenge, the release said.
“Decarbonizing the food supply chain by targeting food waste at its source — grocery stores — is a major opportunity for both people and planet,” said Therm Solutions co-founder and CEO Fritz Troller. “Food waste is a complex problem for the industry, and historically grocers haven’t had a climate-friendly, cost-effective solution. Through carbon credits, Therm empowers grocers to adopt sustainable practices that benefit their operations, the environment and the American people.”
According to the release, the U.S. wasted 38% of its food supply in 2022 while 44.2 million people went hungry. When discarded in landfills, this wasted food generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Food waste also squanders the resources invested in the food supply chain, like electricity and water, the release said.
Therm Solutions said reducing food loss is particularly challenging for grocery retailers due to high costs of solutions and disjointed supply chains. Transportation constraints, established processes and logistical burdens have made discarding food easier and cheaper than adopting sustainable practices, the release said. Carbon credits offer incentives for the donation of edible food, bridging a gap in the grocery industry while also benefiting the communities in which they operate, the company said.
