Kroger celebrates Earth Month

Kroger is celebrating Earth Day the entire month of April with its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation contributing to the World Wildlife Fund and the Arbor Day Foundation.

"At Kroger, we support healthy, thriving communities during Earth Month and every day through our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste impact plan," said Keith Dailey, Kroger's group vice president of corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer. "We are proud to join forces with WWF and the Arbor Day Foundation to celebrate Earth Month with our communities and advance our shared mission to protect our planet for generations to come."

From now through April 30, customers can join the celebration by rounding up their purchases to the nearest dollar amount at checkout to benefit WWF, with Kroger's Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation matching customer donations up to $50,000. Kroger said that 100% of all donations made during April would go directly to WWF, the world's leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries and supported by five million members worldwide. "Funds will benefit WWF's conservation and sustainability efforts in our communities, across the country and around the world," the company said.

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The Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation also supports efforts to increase tree canopies in communities impacted by extreme weather, including Shreveport, La. and Bowling Green, Ky., with a $50,000 contribution to the Arbor Day Foundation. The donation will support the distribution of hundreds of trees in each community. Expanding the tree canopy in these areas will help combat impacts from natural disasters like hurricanes and flooding.

Kroger shared that it is committed to supporting healthy, thriving communities through the grocer's signature Zero Hunger | Zero Waste impact plan that emphasizes the unique role Kroger plays across the food system as an employer, food processor, retailer, healthcare provider and more. In the first five years of the impact plan, Kroger and its associates have achieved the following::

• $1.65 billion in giving to hunger relief, which includes 500 million pounds of surplus food donated, for a total of 2.3 billion meals directed to communities;
• $54.6 million in grants from the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation; and
• $5.2 million in Innovation Fund grants for social entrepreneurs through the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation's signature program.

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