Save-On-Foods reveals plans to reduce food waste by 50% by 2025

Today, Save-On-Foods revealed plans to reduce its food waste company-wide by 50% by 2025.

The Western Canadian supermarket chain plans to reach its goal by diverting surplus and potentially wasted food away from landfills and “redirecting it to the best use in a consistent, safe and measurable way.”

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The company will add to its existing full organic diversion programs in areas like Metro Vancouver, by partnering with Food Banks BC, Mesh Exchange (dba FoodMesh), Loop Resources, and other charity partners to reach its ultimate goal of having zero surplus.

The goal has already been accomplished in more than half of all Save-On-Foods stores in just one year.

“We have now rolled out our food waste diversion program in nearly 100 of our 170 stores,” said Darrell Jones, President of Save-On-Foods. “We have been composting perishable waste where possible for a number of years, but we knew we could do better. This new goal furthers our commitment to ensuring all unsaleable food in our operation is put to the best and highest use. We look forward to expanding our initiative across all of our stores in Western Canada.”

Grocery Store/Shutterstock

Save-On-Foods has already provided perishable food for over 250,000 healthy meals to those in need through these kinds of partnerships in the first three months of the FoodMesh pilot.

It has also supported close to 400 small family farms in BC, Vancouver Island, and beyond.

“With close to 1.5 million metric tonnes valued at close to $6.4 billion dollars of surplus edible food wasted each year in BC and close to 100,000 individuals struggling to put food on the table, perishable food recovery with our partner, Save-On-Foods has been a true game-changer for food banks in BC,” said Laura Lansink, Executive Director, Food Banks BC. “Now, fresh, healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry and dairy are made available to every person at risk of hunger rather than ending up as waste.”