Organic recycling expansion to all Fred Meyer stores in Pacific Northwest region
In a significant stride towards a more sustainable future, Fred Meyer, a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., has expanded its organics recycling program with Divert Inc. across its Pacific Northwest store footprint. This move aims to reduce food waste, support sustainability, and enhance operational efficiencies.
The program, which has been in operation since 2018, prevents food waste by diverting unsold or inedible organics from landfills into beneficial reuse processes. Through anaerobic digestion, these organics are transformed into carbon-negative renewable energy and nutrient-rich soil amendments. This reuse not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with decomposing organic waste in landfills but also aligns with sustainability goals and environmental regulations such as California's SB 1383, influencing wider regional waste diversion efforts.
Divert's proprietary depackaging and digestion technologies ensure secure processing and generate value from waste instead of disposal. This leads to increased efficiencies for Fred Meyer by reducing landfill costs, improving compliance with environmental regulations, and supporting the overall circular economy.
With Divert's data, Fred Meyer can identify patterns in unsold inventory, optimize ordering, and improve donation opportunities to feed more people in need. Todd Kammeyer, President of Fred Meyer, heralded the partnership with Divert as a significant step forward in their journey towards a more sustainable future.
The program, now implemented across all 105 Fred Meyer grocery stores in Washington state and Oregon, has already made a substantial impact. In 2024 alone, it prevented over 5.4 million pounds of unsold food products from reaching landfills. Moreover, Fred Meyer donates more than 5 million pounds of food annually to local food banks through its Food Rescue Program.
The collaboration with Divert drives operational efficiencies that result in meaningful cost and time savings for Fred Meyer. Ben Kuethe Oaks, VP and GM of Divert's retail sector, expressed his delight at the expansion of their collaboration with Fred Meyer and Kroger. Divert, a portfolio company of Ara Partners, a global private-equity firm, supports Fred Meyer across its entire store network, unlocking new opportunities for waste prevention and food donations.
Fred Meyer operates approximately 130 multi-department stores across four western states, serving over 33,000 associates and more than 11 million customers daily through a digital shopping experience and retail food stores under various banner names. Kroger, Fred Meyer's parent company, is ranked No. 4 on Progressive Grocer's 2025 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Progressive Grocer also named Kroger among its Retailers of the Century.
The expansion of this organics recycling program is a testament to Fred Meyer's commitment to sustainability, waste reduction, and corporate social responsibility initiatives. It underscores their role as a responsible corporate citizen and their dedication to making a positive impact on the environment and the communities they serve.
- Fred Meyer's organics recycling program, in collaboration with Divert, not only helps reduce food waste by converting unused organic materials into renewable energy and nutrient-rich soil amendments, but also aligns with their lifestyle of sustainable living.
- Recognizing the value in waste instead of disposal, the expansion of this program across all Fred Meyer grocery stores in Washington state and Oregon allows for improved identification of unsold inventory, leading to enhanced home-and-garden operations through optimized ordering and increased food-and-drink donations.
- As part of their commitment to a more sustainable future, Fred Meyer's organics recycling program not only impacts their own operations, but also contributes to the wider regional waste diversion efforts, supporting their role as a corporate citizen who prioritizes food-and-drink sustainability and the greater good of the environment and local communities.
