Grocery & Retails
Large-format retailers have a unique influence on food waste management. As key hubs in the agricultural supply chain, these businesses hold significant power to shift our food waste habits and drive meaningful change.
Fighting Food Waste in Large-Format Retail
Supermarkets generate 43 billion pounds of food waste every year.* Unfortunately, a significant portion of that waste is actually edible and often discarded due to unrealistic beauty standards, overstocking, or products approaching their sell-by dates.* As of 2022, only six U.S. states have laws encouraging grocery store food donations—none prohibit it outright.*
Many supermarkets and grocery chains have begun selling “imperfect” fruits and vegetables, while others have removed unnecessary “best by” or “use by” labels.* When surplus food is safe and suitable for human consumption, the preferred destination is donation to those in need.
Reduce Food Waste with ORCA
Supermarkets and grocery stores need accurate food waste data to create an effective reduction plan. ORCA tracks the food waste deposited into it, allowing for categorization by food type to identify opportunities for reduction.
After minimizing waste through actions like eliminating excessive beauty standards and donating surplus food to those in need, the remaining waste is digested by ORCA in under 24 hours. It is then further processed at wastewater treatment facilities, where nutrients are extracted to produce renewable biogas or used for agricultural purposes.
