Walmart announced it is partnering with organics recycler Denali to address food waste in its stores.
Retail TouchPoints reported that the mega-chain will be using Denali's “de-wrapping” technology at both its Walmart and Sam's Club stores to separate food destined for disposal from its packaging. Typically, this is done manually by employees, but the new system will result in a cleaner stream of organic material that can be converted into animal feed, compost, or even energy.
According to Feeding America, Americans throw out 92 billion pounds of food every year, which is roughly 145 billion meals, and the organization says this waste costs the state roughly $473 billion annually.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that food loss and waste in the United States produces about 187 million tons of greenhouse gases each year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that's equivalent to the amount of carbon pollution emitted by 42 coal-fired power plants each year.
Retailers, who often throw out food that's expired, spoiled or recalled, are responsible for about 20 percent of this food waste, according to the Food Institute. Walmart, which operates in 19 countries, could have a big impact because it's the world's largest retailer in terms of revenue.
Luckily, given the scale of the problem, Walmart isn't alone in trying to tackle the food waste epidemic, as other brands are also taking steps to go green.
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Aldi, for example, transformed surplus grapes into a best-selling dessert that became so popular it went viral on TikTok, while Albertsons is taking steps to reduce food waste by donating it to nonprofits and food banks or turning it into compost or animal feed.
According to Retail TouchPoints, Walmart's new unpacking solution is now live in stores in more than 16 markets, including Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. The company plans to continue its national rollout through 2025.
In a joint statement, Walmart and Denali highlighted the potential of the partnership, including customer service and environmental impact.
“Denali's depackaging technology helps us transform millions of pounds of potential food waste into useful products each year while freeing up our associates to spend more time serving customers,” said RJ Zanes, Walmart's vice president of facilities services.
“Denali's depackaging technology is revolutionizing the way food manufacturers, distributors, retailers and the cities in which they operate reduce food waste,” added Ilya Kostov, Denali's chief revenue officer. “We're proud to work with major retailers Walmart and Sam's Club to help reduce food waste at scale while enabling a circular economy.”
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