Fred Meyer Stores is helping its customers celebrate Earth Month by offering programs focused on providing more sustainable packaging solutions and reducing plastic waste. Through its partnership with TerraCycle, Fred Meyer is providing customers recycling solutions for harder-to-recycle plastic packaging as well as products in reusable packaging via the innovative Loop platform. These programs can help customers live more sustainable lifestyles and are aligned with Kroger’s vision of creating communities free of waste—all part of its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste environmental and social impact plan.
Our Brands Plastic Packaging Recycling Program
In 2020, Kroger and TerraCycle launched a partnership through which customers can mail back flexible plastic Our Brands product packaging to TerraCycle for recycling. This program made Kroger the first retailer with a national private label brand recycling solution. Since first starting with Kroger’s Simple Truth® brand, the companies have expanded their partnership to allow flexible plastic packaging for all Our Brands items to be collected. As of February 2022, the program has collected nearly 400,000 packages.
How the Our Brands Recycling Program with TerraCycle Works:
- Sign up for the program at http://www.Terracycle.com/Kroger.
- Collect flexible plastic packaging (bags, pouches, liners, and wraps) from Kroger's exclusive Our Brands, including Simple Truth®, Private Selection®, Kroger® Brand, Comforts®, Luvsome®, Abound®, and more in any available box.
- When your collection box is full, ship the box of Our Brands packaging to TerraCycle using the free prepaid shipping label available in your account on the program page.
- Start earning points for every pound of eligible packaging sent and redeem points as donations to participating charitable organizations.
Loop Reusable Packaging Platform
Additionally, Kroger recently expanded its partnership with TerraCycle by introducing the circular reusable packaging platform Loop, developed by TerraCycle, in 25 Fred Meyer stores in the Portland, Oregon metro area. The Loop assortment includes a combination of well-known food and household products from a range of brands, including Arbor Teas, Cascade, Clorox, Gerber, Nature’s Heart, Nature’s Path, Pantene, Seventh Generation, and Stubb’s, as well as Kroger’s own Simple Truth brand.
“We are excited to offer customers convenient solutions that support their desire to reduce waste and live more sustainable lifestyles,” said Todd Kammeyer, vice president of merchandising for Fred Meyer Stores. “We invite customers to try Loop and the Our Brands Recycling Program for Earth Month, and every day.”
Customers can purchase their Loop-ready products in refillable, reusable containers found in branded displays in participating Fred Meyer stores. After a customer uses the products, they can return the empty packaging to the Loop collection bin located at each participating store. Loop will then pick up the empty containers to be cleaned, refilled, and made available for purchase by a new customer. Customers will be charged a packaging deposit upon purchase, and a full refund is given once the package is returned. For more information on this partnership, please visit https://www.thekrogerco.com/loop/.
Source: Fred Meyer