ReFED’s Post

Proud to be Part of Walmart's ‘Zero De-Pack’ Journey! Today marks a significant milestone in our journey towards sustainability. I am excited to relay the announcement of the launch of the Zero De-Pack program, a testament to Walmart's commitment to innovation and reducing food waste at scale. This initiative, in collaboration with Denali, makes us the first retailer to introduce de-packaging services at scale, now available at over 1,400 Walmart and Sam's Club locations across the United States. As an Industrial Engineer, it delights me to be part of the program that enhances operational efficiency and boosts our associates' experience, along with significantly reducing food waste. We've seen an increase in organics recycling by over 60% and a reduction in compactor trash by an estimated 12% based on initial testing. This is not only a progress towards innovation, but a giant leap towards a circular economy. As we celebrate this milestone, I am filled with optimism for the future. Together, we are making a difference. #IndustrialEngineering #ProcessImprovement #Innovation

Today, Walmart announced the #ZeroDePack program, showcasing continued innovation to reduce food waste at scale and enable the circular economy. Teaming up with Denali, Walmart is the 1st retailer to introduce innovative de-packaging services at scale, now available at 1,400+ Walmart and Sam's Club locations across the United States. This initiative enhances operational efficiency, boosts store associates' experience, and significantly cuts down food waste, increasing organics recycling by over 60% and reducing compactor trash by an estimated 12% based on initial testing. The solution involves leveraging downstream de-packaging infrastructure to mechanically separate food waste from packaging. By simplifying the process of separating expired or unsellable food from its packaging, cleaner waste streams are achieved, leading to happier associates and various sustainability opportunities. This impactful project highlights the power of collaboration across the business. Special thanks to the key individuals at Walmart and Denali who have been instrumental in pioneering and sustaining this initiative. In particular, Seth Lombard, Jane Ewing, Stacey Duckett, MM, Amy Alexander, Sheila Brooks, Stephen Mclemore, Will Roberts, Prathamesh L.. and Randy Davenport. #BeInItToWinIt #WalmartSustainability #TooGoodToWaste #foodwasteaction Read more about the program here: https://lnkd.in/gChsvfx8

Denali has teamed up with Walmart to deploy a new recycling process at thousands of stores and in most major U.S. cities. We have seen up to a 60% increase in the amount of food waste diverted from landfills and kept in the circular economy as animal feed, compost, and renewable energy. Thanks to ambitious partners like Walmart, Denali is transforming food waste into a resource ♻️ . Denali's process leverages depackaging - technology that efficiently separates packaging like plastic and cardboard from organics content. This replaces a time-intensive, manual process and frees store associates to spend more time helping customers. Depackaging also allows stores to recycle all types of food in one step, including meat, dairy, frozen and liquid items, as well as produce. Thanks to this innovation, we expect to recycle about 200,000 pounds of food waste from each store that utilizes our depackaging services. Read more about Denali's partnership with Walmart here: https://lnkd.in/gyx9hGkz #foodwaste #sustainability #zerowaste #recycling

🌱Food waste is a pressing issue in #retail, but technology is stepping in to make a difference. Food waste could be cut by as much as 30% and a significant margin could be recovered through markdown rather than disposal. Learn how innovative #ESL solutions are revolutionizing the fight against waste in retail stores 🛒 Read more 👇 #FoodWaste #RetailTech #Sustainability

Food waste! A hot topic in the consumer goods industry… Walmart is introducing Denali tech to reduce the amount of food they send to the dump and repurpose unused food Modern Retail Story: https://lnkd.in/gkQM6n7T TooGoodToGo is partnering with Whole Foods to offer surprise bags of food before they go bad (and at a great price) Food and Wine story: https://lnkd.in/g9au-rNM De-influencing is on the rise as people on social media try to get consumers to spend LESS and NOT buy stuff Fast Company Story: https://lnkd.in/gY_P496z The plot thickens!! #consumergoods #cpgtrends #foodwaste #sustainability

This is not a promo for Walmart, but I agree with the initiative. I recently posted an article about the astounding and unacceptable statistic that 58% of the world's food produced goes to waste. This technology appears to offer a partial solution, to repurpose some of that waste. I won't give Walmart a pat on the back for reducing compactor waste by 12% - that's better than nothing but only a fraction of what they need to do. I just hope the rest of the mega-chains producing massive amounts of waste are paying attention to what Walmart is doing, and forming plans to one-up them. https://lnkd.in/eMynMiHg

Does anyone here routinely use a takeaway cup recycling service? I'm genuinely curious. I have always thought it seemed like an impossible task to recycle takeaway cups, since you do precisely that, take them away. I guess it works in cafes where you have to also use a takeaway cup when drinking in? But does it really work for people on the go? Businesses are continuing to invest in recycling services for single-use cups, so someone must be using them. I'm keen to understand who, how, why...? Could they be extended to take other takeaway packaging, food trays perhaps? https://lnkd.in/eqJTJrn3

The new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation aims to ensure more sustainable packaging and also reduce packaging waste across the EU. By 2030, all packaging must be recyclable, to address the growing volume of waste and support the circular economy. #wine #winelover #sustainability #circulareconomy #unitedwetaste

SCS, Krones, and TOMRA successfully demonstrate XPS food tray recycling process. Read more on https://buff.ly/4bFx3BA #SCS #Krones #Tomra #Recycling #XPS #FoodPackaging #Sustainability #Innovation #CircularEconomy #WasteManagement #PackagingTechnology

Is your business looking for ways to be more sustainable in the supply chain? Bunzl and Hilton Foods’ came together to reduce the amount of pallet wrap used – reducing Hilton Food’s plastic waste and helping meet their sustainability goals. Find out how it was done here. Case Study: How Bunzl and Hilton Foods Reduced Plastic Use in Pallet Wrap - Bunzl Forté https://lnkd.in/gjpQzF5b #PalletWrap #SustainableSupplyChain