Kroger Distribution Center Fueld by Food Waste
Kroger, one of the world’s largest supermarket retailers, with more than 340,000 employees, has unveiled a clean fuel system generated by food waste that its Los Angeles’ City of Compton distribution center will run on.
Using what’s called anaerobic digestion that transforms uneaten food and food scraps into a renewable biogas, the gas is then turned into a clean power source. According to company press release, “The system will provide enough renewable biogas to offset more than 20 percent of the energy demand of the [Los Angeles] center. Combining the use of renewable energy power with more than 150 zero emission fuel cell fork lifts, the Ralphs/Food4Less distribution center is now one of the greenest and most efficient, advancing the City of Compton as a leading sustainable community.”
According to Kroger, the anaerobic conversion system will process “more than 55,000 tons of organic food waste into renewable energy annually and provide power for the over 650,000 square foot distribution center.” The facility will use the equivalent of approximately 150 tons of food per day, and the system will also reduce the need for local area truck trips by more than 500,000 miles each year.
“We are committed to finding solutions for food waste and clean energy, and we believe this is a meaningful step forward,” said Rodney McMullen, President and COO, The Kroger Co. in a statement. “Investing in this project is a good business decision for Kroger and, most importantly, an extraordinary opportunity to benefit the environment.”
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