JACKSONVILLE, FLA. – Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, has released its 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility Progress Report, which highlights advancements the grocer has accomplished over the last year to create stronger communities, better products and a more sustainable future for all.
“At Southeastern Grocers, we continue to put people first and position belonging, inclusion and diversity at the heart of every decision as we work toward a more equitable and sustainable future,” said Anthony Hucker, the retailer’s president and CEO. “Last year, we enhanced our products to be more environmentally friendly, challenged our suppliers to do the same and worked with our customers to eliminate the use of single-use plastics. We believe it’s our responsibility to be leaders of change and we will continue to push forward for a brighter future for our people and our planet.”
To streamline sustainability efforts, SEG has aligned its objectives with six specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to address hunger, health, education, inequalities, responsible consumption and production, and ocean conservation.
Last year, SEG, together with the SEG Gives Foundation, donated more than 18.6 million meals to help alleviate food insecurity, and donated more than $1.1 million to aid and support disaster relief efforts. The grocer also partnered with thousands of local organizations throughout the Southeast, administered nearly 500,000 COVID-19 vaccines and donated $1.5 million to Folds of Honor, providing more than 300 educational scholarships to the legacies of fallen and disabled service members. In its second year, SEG’s Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant program provided 24 nonprofit organizations with more than $285,000 to help address racial disparities in education, health care and food insecurity.
To continue to build a sustainable future for years to come, SEG prioritized waste management by recycling nearly 50% more food than the previous year, recycled 134 million pounds of cardboard to save over 1.1 million trees and introduced digital receipts as an ecofriendly option for customers to further diminish waste. SEG also decreased the use of more than 2.3 million plastic bags while also supporting over 3,200 local nonprofits through its reusable Community Bag program that allows customers to direct a $1 donation to the nonprofit of their choice for each bag purchased.
SEG has also responsibly sourced 100% of its tuna and increased sustainability in its Own Brand line of products through its support of fair labor practices, responsible cocoa sourcing and creation of fiber compostable and biodegradable single-use products.
