Albertsons
Companies is committed to improving the recyclability, reusability and
compostability of our Own Brands product packaging. Our Own Brands consist of
trusted household names that are exclusive to our stores, such as Signature SELECT®,
O Organics®, Open Nature®, Overjoyed™, Lucerne®, Primo Taglio®, Waterfront
Bistro®, Soleil®, ReadyMeals® and Value Corner®.
In 2023, our
Own Brands consumer-facing primary and secondary plastic packaging footprint was
approximately 64,000 metric tons. This volume included the plastic packaging
used for our Own Brands and store-made products purchased through our stores
and e-commerce platforms, as well as company-operated and third-party delivery
services. We work closely with our suppliers to better understand our footprint
and identify areas for improvement. A significant portion of our primary
plastic footprint is recyclable, reusable and/or compostable.
We actively
seek innovative methods to continue to transition to packaging that is
reusable, recyclable and/or compostable, as well as to expand our utilization
of post-consumer recycled content. Examples of progress we’ve made includes:
- Converting the floral sleeves used for our floral bouquets to high-density polyethylene plastic that can be recycled at stores with soft plastic recycling bins.
- Beginning to transition our Own Brands packaged salad containers to use resealable film lids to reduce plastic usage while maintaining product freshness.
- Using produce bags with 30% post-industrial recycled content.
Standardized Recycling Communications
Own Brands
product packaging provides standardized recycling guidance to enhance the
clarity of our recyclability statements. This includes using the How2Recycle
label system or QR codes on our more than 7,000 Own Brands packaged goods and
language on scale-labels for over 40,000 of our store-made items. Providing
clear recycling instructions on how to dispose of our packaging is an ongoing
effort as our product portfolio and the recycling capabilities in our operating
areas continue to evolve. These labels assist our customers in correctly
discarding and recycling the packaging of our Own Brands products, helping to
reduce the amount of plastic that is sent to landfills when possible.
Soft Plastic Recycling
Our soft
plastic recycling program includes the recycling of pallet wrap, which ensures
the secure transportation of products, as well as the plastic bags and films customers
return to our stores. These plastics are collected in customer-facing recycling
bins that are designed to collect soft plastics, a service that is not
available through most curbside recycling programs. Throughout 2023, our
company recycled over 25 million pounds of plastic bags and films.
As part of our 2023 Earth Month campaign, we partnered with Kellogg's to educate customers in our Southern California and Mid-Atlantic divisions on materials that can be recycled in our soft plastic recycling program by using sings featuring well-known characters such as Tony the Tiger® and Toucan Sam®.
To learn more about plastic bags and films recycling at our stores, see our list of accepted items.