Weis Markets Releases 2022 Sustainability Report; Jonathan Weis Shares

Across the United States, people gathered on April 22 to celebrate Earth Day, and Weis Markets was among them. In celebration of Mother Nature, the retailer released its 2022 Weis Sustainability Report: Guided by Nature to showcase its ongoing commitment to the Earth and its communities.

“Being good stewards of the environment and giving back to the communities we serve are central to Weis Markets’ mission,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Weis. “The 2022 Weis Sustainability Report: Guided by Nature reflects the ongoing commitment of our associates to live the mission in their work. In the years to come, we will continue to seek out creative ways to reduce waste, implement green design, and support our communities.”

Weis also donated $1,500 each to three organizations that work to improve the environment throughout its market area: Chesapeake Conservancy in Annapolis, Maryland; ClearWater Conservancy in State College, Pennsylvania; and Susquehanna River Cleanup Project in Sunbury, Pennsylvania.

A press release added that Weis encourages recycling in the communities it serves. In observance of Earth Day, it donated benches made of recycled plastic grocery bags to Selinsgrove School District to reward students for collecting and recycling 10,000 plastic grocery bags.

Weis’ sustainability achievements in 2022 include:

• Delivered on commitments to reduce waste by:
  • Diverting more than 10,000 tons of food from landfills
  • Partnering with Invafresh to reduce food waste through artificial intelligence and machine learning
  • Conducting a baseline waste audit to evaluate effectiveness of waste diversion programs
  • Collecting 3,493 pounds of medication through takeback programs
• Made strides in green design by:
  • Completing a five-year rollout of LED lighting in its stores, conserving over 44 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually
  • Maintaining its Sustainable Food Retail Certification from the Ratio Institute
  • Implementing thermal blanket and thermal heat shield insulation at production facilities
  • Piloting HVAC ductwork sealing
  • Adopting sustainable trucking practices like backhauling, Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems, and route optimization
• A multi-million-dollar charitable giving program in partnership with customers

Weis’ report can be found here.

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