Kroger has launched a program to sell “ugly” produce alongside its other fruits and vegetables. The produce will be branded as “Pickuliar Picks,” and is part of Kroger’s Zero Hunger/Zero Waste program aimed to help eliminate hunger in the communities it serves and slash food waste company-wide by 2025.
Kroger unveiled plans for the program last week in Washington, DC. A senior innovation manager for the company noted that 6 billion pounds of “ugly” or imperfect fruit and vegetables go unused each year because of below-average appearance or size. In total in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that over 130 billion pounds of food is wasted every year in the retail and consumer sectors.
This move puts Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the United States, in line with other large grocery chains that have announced similar “imperfect produce” initiatives in recent years. It also adds to the company’s existing efforts to prevent food waste and fight hunger — they currently work with Feeding America and more than 100 local food banks. They estimate that in 2016 their donations of food and funds provided 330 million meals.
Unfortunately, Kroger’s initiative came with photo mock-ups of plastic wrapped fruits and veggies. It’s crucial that grocery stores recognizing food waste as an issue also recognize that containers and packaging are a huge problem, as well. An estimated 23% of landfill is made up of packaging and containers. Hopefully as Kroger and other national chains become more eco-minded they will take note and follow the lead of smaller organizations striving to be zero-waste while making sure everyone has food to eat, no matter their financial situation.
You can refrigerate bananas to stop ripening and cut out bad spots in fruit/veg. People can make fruit salad and more. Stores need to allow people to pick out fruit etc and not be forced to take all. Fruit/veg refrigeration in stores maybe too cold freezing fruit/veg so it gets old/mushy. Stores can help, but policies are getting in the way often.
Anything we can do to reduce waste will make a huge difference.
You know, it is wonderful that restaurants, groceries, producers & growers are stepping up to the plate & instead of WASTING & THROWING AWAY good food just because it’s blemished, sunburned, uneaten, unused, nearing the date of being pulled, etc & helping feed the hungry. Now, I know a lot of you will start hollering about this BUT, why can’t at least some of this be flown to the areas where Polar Bears & other animals are suffering & dying S L O W painful deaths because of the mess we humans have caused to climate change!? We have caused a situation that may never be remedied & through no fault of the bears, penguins, seals, sea lions, etc….they are dying! The ice they depend on is diminishing at an alarming rate & they have little to nothing to eat. HUMANS DID THIS & HUMANS SHOULD FIX IT! However that would take a long time IF the problem ever did get fixed. But at least some of this food could be flown to those areas & dumped for them! Perhaps some pilots would even donate his time, plane/helicopter & fuel & some take turn about taking a drop to them at least once a week! What a blessing it would be to our animals that will go extinct without our help! I’m not trying to take anything away from people who are hungry & need the help. I just want to help these poor suffering animals who are slowly starving to death because of us!
Excellent idea April!
Common sense at last! what a waste of good food to throw out a two legged carrot or a overgrown or undergrown tomato-it’s criminal when people can’t afford much and so much is being binned!
AWESOME IDEA. WHO EVER CAME UP WITH THIS HAS AN AMAZING INSIGHT AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. YOU GO KROGERS
This is a wonderful idea!! I’ve seen parents with small children having them pick out the fruit they want! the kids seem to enjoy it…..hopefully this will steer kids away from all the junk food!!!
When I lived out west we waited for the expiration date. One day before expiration, the food was offered by our local store at 10% so you could get a gallon of milk for 25c. Saved us money and saved the store the expense of trashing.
Thanku Kroger. I wish my local supermarket would do that. 🍇🍈🍉🍊🍋🍌🍍🍎🍏🍐🍑🍒🍓🍅🥥🥝🥑🍆🥔🥕🌽🌶🥒🥦🍄🥜🌰
In Australia we have had this option for about two years, the bags are called “The Odd Bunch” and I love them, usually Pears, Avocados, Apples etc., they are smaller than the markets like, sometimes have marks where the fruit has been leaning on a branch etc., whenever I see them I buy. Recently got a bag of pears for just over $2A and what I did not eat, I stewed for later. I just feel we feel we are “entitled” to perfect everything whether it be veges, fruit or whatever. We need to get over ourselves….
Why can’t Kroger donated to food banks, senior programs? But I would think the food would be ugly. It still have nutritional value. Could save some lives.
Kathy, you’ll be glad to know my local Kroger has been donating food to a local shelter and the food is only 1 day expired. And I’ll keep shopping at Kroger to support them as they expand their Zero Hunger/Zero Waste program. I believe if your local food banks and senior programs would reach out to Kroger they may be surprised at the help they would receive.
No such thing as ugly food.
We should than our Lucky Stars we have such abundance.
And be ashamed at what we consider not perfect.
Thank you to all the stores that stops waste.