Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based Weis Markets has announced its progress toward reducing the company’s overall environmental impact last year in its sustainability report.
The “2022 Weis Sustainability Report: Guided by Nature” details Weis Markets’ efforts to conserve resources, embrace green design and demonstrate social responsibility.
“Being good stewards of the environment and giving back to the communities we serve are central to Weis Markets’ mission,” said Jonathan Weis, chairman and CEO.
“The ‘2022 Weis Sustainability Report: Guided by Nature’ reflects the ongoing commitment of our associates to live the mission in their work. In the years to come, we will continue to seek out creative ways to reduce waste, implement green design and support our communities.”
To mark the release of this report, Weis Markets donated $1,500 each to three organizations that work to improve the environment throughout its market area: Chesapeake Conservancy in Annapolis, Maryland; ClearWater Conservancy in State College, Pennsylvania; and Susquehanna River Cleanup Project in Sunbury, Pennsylvania.
In observance of Earth Day on April 22, the company donated benches made of recycled plastic grocery bags to Selinsgrove School District to reward students for collecting and recycling 10,000 plastic grocery bags.
Key Weis Markets sustainability achievements in 2022 include:
- Delivered on commitments to reduce waste by:
- Diverting more than 10,000 tons of food from landfills;
- Increasing amount of food diverted from landfills by 7.5 percent compared to 2021;
- Partnering with Invafresh to reduce food waste through artificial intelligence and machine learning;
- Conducting a baseline waste audit to evaluate effectiveness of waste diversion programs and identify additional opportunities for alternative disposal; and
- Collecting 3,493 pounds of medication through takeback programs, an increase of 8.3 percent compared to 2021.
- Made strides in green design by:
- Completing a five-year rollout of LED lighting in its stores, conserving more than 44 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually;
- Maintaining its Sustainable Food Retail Certification from the Ratio Institute;
- Implementing thermal blanket and thermal heat shield insulation at production facilities to reduce radiant heat loss;
- Piloting HVAC ductwork sealing to further improve energy efficiency; and
- Adopting sustainable trucking practices like backhauling, Selective Catalytic Reduction systems and route optimization to enhance efficiency.
- A multi-million-dollar charitable giving program in partnership with customers
Weis Markets’ “2022 Weis Sustainability Report: Guided by Nature” is available at weismarkets.com/sustainability.
Founded in 1912, Weis Markets Inc. is a mid-Atlantic food retailer operating 197 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and West Virginia.
