Walmart Turns Food Waste into Compost

Business case

Providing electricity and gas services, including traditional and renewable energy generation, natural and manufactured gas and operating gas networks

Energy Utilities and Independent Power Producers

Collecting waste from households and businesses by means of refuse bins, wheeled bins, containers, etc., and providing treatment, incineration, materials recovery and reclamation, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste

Waste Management

Producing and gathering crop and animal products from land and water through farming, hunting, and fishing

Agriculture

Utilise waste streams as a source of secondary resources and recover waste for reuse and recycling

Use waste as a resource

Reuse, repurpose, and recycle waste streams within the same industry

Valorise waste streams - closed loop

Collection programmes that process products and parts for reuse or recycling within the same industry

Closed loop collection

Transforming waste products into materials and lower value products within the same industry

Closed loop downcycling

Generating energy from waste through processes such as anaerobic digestion, gasification, incineration, etc.

Generating energy from waste

**Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns**

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The world is seriously off track in its effort to halve per-capita food waste and losses by 2030.The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on consumption and production patterns, with disruptions to global supply chains and changes in consumer behaviour. 

Responsible consumption and production must be an integral part of the recovery from the pandemic. 
But the global economy also needs to speed up the decoupling of economic growth from resource use by maximizing the socio-economic benefits of resources while minimizing their negative impacts. 

Reporting on corporate sustainability has tripled since the beginning of the SDG period, but the private sector will need to significantly improve reporting on activities that contribute to the SDGs. 

This primarily entails environmentally sound management of "toxic chemicals" A substantial use of chemicals is essential to meet the social and economic goals of the world community, and these can be used with a high degree of safety when best practices are followed.  Gross chemical contamination, with grave damage to human health, genetic structures reproductive outcomes, and the environment, has been continuing within some of the world's most important industrial areas, and restoration will require major investment as well as the development of new techniques.
Effective control of the generation, storage, treatment, recycling and reuse, transport, recovery and disposal of hazardous wastes is another similar challenge. 
In addition,  solid wastes include all domestic refuse and non-hazardous wastes such as commercial and institutional wastes, street sweepings construction debris, and, in some countries, human wastes. As hazardous waste is frequently intermixed with other waste, this poses particular management challenges.
Finally, this target ensures that radioactive waste is safely managed, transported, stored and disposed of, with a view to protecting human health and the environment. 

To deliver SDG12, it is crucial to implement policies that support the shift to sustainable practices and decouple economic growth from resource use.

Sources: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12)
[https://sdgs.un.org/topics/chemicals-and-waste](https://sdgs.un.org/topics/chemicals-and-waste)

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12. Responsible consumption and production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Cycle strategies aim to cycle and reuse materials at their highest value: they maximise the volume of secondary materials re-entering the economy, ultimately minimising the need for virgin material inputs and therefore also narrowing flows. Of course, virgin materials will always be needed to a degree: all materials degrade and can’t be cycled infinitely, use energy, and require blending with virgin materials to maintain strength and functionality.

Cycle

Industries

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The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

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**These 17 Goals recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.**

The SDGs build on decades of work by countries and the UN, and especially on the Millennium Declaration adopted in September 2000 at UN Headquarters in New York which let to the elaboration of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce extreme poverty by 2015.

In 2015, the Paris Agreement was signed. A major blueprint came out of this: The Sustainable Development Goals: 17 overarching goals—and 169 targets—that governments are aiming to meet by 2030. Significant progress has been made in terms of poverty, health and inequality, but there's still a way to go. This is where the circular economy comes in: by circulating resources multiple times, the circular economy tackles issues of scarcity and allows all to access what they need—without overburdening the earth. If it's implemented in a holistic way—affording attention to social considerations and the fair distribution of resources— it also offers a pathway for achieving the SDGs; and the link between the two is ever-growing. To read more about the link between the SDGs and the circular economy, click [here](https://www.circle-economy.com/blogs/how-the-circular-economy-can-help-us-reach-the-sustainable-development-goals).

It is the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) which provides substantive support and capacity-building for the SDGs and their related thematic issues. TheDSDG plays a key role in the evaluation of UN systemwide implementation of the 2030 Agenda and in advocacy and outreach activities relating to the SDGs. In order to make the 2030 Agenda a reality, broad ownership of the SDGs must translate into a strong commitment by all stakeholders to implement the global goals. DSDG aims to help facilitate this engagement.
Alongside this, the annual High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development serves as the central UN platform for the follow-up and review of the SDGs.
In addition, the UN Secretary-General presents an annual SDG Progress report, which is developed in cooperation with the UN System, and based on the global indicator framework and data produced by national statistical systems and information collected at the regional level.

To read more information: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals](https://sdgs.un.org/goals)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Based on the work of [Bocken et al. (2016)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309699661_Product_design_and_business_model_strategies_for_a_circular_economy), the Four Flows Framework serves as a simple framework for managing resource flows in a circular economy by using less (Narrow), using for longer (Slow), using again (Cycle), and using clean, regenerative materials and energy (Regenerate).

These different principles of circular economy can be applied to our socioeconomic metabolism: we can design stocks like buildings, infrastructure, machinery, and vehicles to be rich resource mines for the future, and design manufactured goods and consumables to be cycled and made regenerative. Furthermore, the focus must also centre on getting more value out of fewer materials. Achieving the aims of a circular economy—minimising material use, regenerating the Earth, and preventing material losses—can be done through these four key strategies mentioned above.

Source: Circle Economy. (2023). *[The circularity gap report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023)* (p.22). Amsterdam: Circle Economy. 

Four Flows Framework

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 La Ville de Paris a engagé la reconversion de l’ancien hôpital Saint-Vincent-de-Paul dans le 14e arrondissement, libéré de ses activités hospitalières depuis 2012. L'objectif est de produire un écoquartier "zéro carbone, zéro déchet, zéro rejet" respectueux de l'histoire du lieu.
    L’écoquartier Saint-Vincent-de-Paul primé pour son innovante collecte innovante des urines    Le quartier Saint-Vincent-de-Paul a reçu le Prix " Coup de Cœur " Innovation Publique pour son dispositif de collecte séparative des urines lors du Paris de l'Innovation.Une fois collectées, les urines seront transformées en un engrais 100 % naturel (azote), utilisé par le centre de production agricole de Rungis, qui produit les végétaux plantés dans les espaces verts de la Ville de Paris. Ce dispositif innovant permet de produire 47 m³ d’engrais par an, offrant une alternative écologique et durable aux engrais chimiques.Retrouvez plus d’informations sur la collecte séparative des urines : Economie circulaire | Paris & Métropole Aménagement 
   Le secteur Saint-Vincent-de-Paul           La première occupation de ce site de 3,4 hectares remonte à la création d’un noviciat pour les prêtres catholiques en 1650 : l’Institution de l’Oratoire. Après la Révolution française, en 1795, le lieu est transformé en maternité et en maison d’allaitement. A partir de 1814, il devient « Hospice des Enfants Assistés », s’occupant des nourrissons orphelins ou confiés anonymement. Le site se transforme progressivement à partir des années 1930 en établissement hospitalier spécialisé dans les maladies infantiles, les urgences pédiatriques et accueille une maternité. Actuellement, l'ancien site hospitalier est entouré par des institutions à vocation religieuse, caritative ou culturelle : le couvent de la Visitation, l’Œuvre des Jeunes Filles Aveugles, l’Hospice Marie-Thérèse et la Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain.

  Les objectifs du projet           Il s’agit sur ce secteur de :

    créer un quartier à dominante logement, ouvert sur la ville et favorisant la mixité sociale,   mener une démarche environnementale ambitieuse et exemplaire et faire de Saint-Vincent-de-Paul un écoquartier novateur, symbole des nouvelles manières d'habiter à Paris,   penser les espaces publics et les espaces libres comme des espaces fortement plantés ou végétalisés en lien avec les grands espaces verts mitoyens, que ce soit sur les toits, le sol ou les façades,   valoriser le patrimoine et l’histoire du site. 

  Valoriser le patrimoine et l’histoire du site           Le projet fait dialoguer l’ancien et le moderne : 60% des bâtiments de l’hôpital Saint-Vincent-de-Paul sont préservés et transformés afin de s’adapter à leur nouvel usage (logement et équipement). Les cours anglaises caractéristiques de l’architecture hospitalière accueilleront les commerces et locaux d’activités. Quatre nouveaux bâtiments seront créés là où les anciennes installations n’ont pas pu être préservées.

  Un quartier d'habitations, ouvert sur la ville et favorisant la mixité sociale                 
    Résidentiel et mixte, Saint-Vincent-de-Paul réunit habitat, équipements publics et privés, commerces et activités économiques.

  Une démarche environnementale ambitieuse et exemplaire    L’espace public, circulable ou paysager, occupe une part importante. Dans le projet Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, le quartier s’organise autour d’une croisée centrale végétalisée de 4000 m2 dédiée au repos et au jeu. Une boucle de circulation périphérique unique dessert les différents points du quartier et permet l’accès des véhicules de secours. Elle est aménagée en « zone de rencontre » paysagée, sans chaussée et trottoir distincts : la vitesse y est limitée à 20 km/h, piétons, cyclistes et ponctuellement des véhicules partagent l’espace.

                          
   Un quartier à dominante logement    Le logement représente à lui seul les deux-tiers du programme. Il se décompose en trois catégories : logement social (50%), logement « en accession libre » (30%) et logement « intermédiaire » (20%). Cette dernière est constituée de logements neufs, dont les loyers sont inférieurs de 10 à 15 % à ceux du marché. Une opportunité pour les foyers dont les revenus excèdent les plafonds du logement social.

                
    Deux équipements majeurs participent de l’animation et de l’attractivité du site :

    Un équipement petite enfance, scolaire et sportif occupe le bâtiment Pinard sur 5 000 m². Conçu d’emblée pour une grande modularité et adaptabilité, il propose des espaces mutualisables que les résidents et les riverains peuvent s'approprier (halls, cour, réfectoire…) ;   Un CINASPIC (construction et installation nécessaires aux services publics ou d'intérêt collectif) qui accueillera notamment des activités culturelles et créatives. 

          De même que les 7 500 m² de commerces et d’activités marchandes ou productives, innovantes dont une partie est dédiée à l’économie sociale et solidaire.

    Les chiffres clés   • 600 logements (dont 50% sociaux, 20% intermédiaires et 8% en bail réel solidaire)• 4 000 m2 d'espace public végétalisé• Un groupe scolaire de 8 classes• Une crèche de 900 m2• Un gymnase de 1 700 m2• 7 500 m2 de locaux d’activités et de commerces, dont 2000 m2 d'intérêt collectif• Un équipement privé à vocation culturelle et créative 
   Le calendrier prévisionnel     2028 : Fin des travaux de construction et d'aménagement   2020 : Démarrage des travaux espaces publics   2019 - 2026 : Démarche citoyenne participative 

  Les acteurs     Aménagement : Paris & Métropole aménagement   Maîtrise d’œuvre urbaine : Agence Anyoji Beltrando (architectes urbanistes, mandataire), Alphaville (programmiste), EVP (BET structure)   Maîtrise d’œuvre espaces publics : Empreinte (paysagiste, mandataire), Artelia (BET VRD), 8’18’’ (concepteur lumière)   Assistances à maîtrise d’ouvrage :- Projet urbain collaboratif et maîtrise d’usage : Le Sens de la Ville- Environnement : Alto Step (mandataire), ATM, Climat Mundi, Medieco- Mobilités : Codra, Chronos- Réemploi : Mobius (mandataire), Lab Ingénérie, Neo Eco, BTP Consultant, Atelier Na- Commerces : Bérénice- Communication : À vrai dire la ville- Ateliers participatifs : Palabréo 

  L'historique du projet     2020 : Démarrage des travaux espaces publics   2018 - 2022 : Travaux de déconstruction et de réseaux   2018- 2020 : Consultations et choix des projets et travaux de déconstruction   2018 - 2019 : Études urbaines   2016 : Modification du Plan Local d'Urbanisme autorisant la transformation du site et désignation de l'aménageur (Paris & Métropole Aménagement)   2015 : Désignation de l'équipe de concepteurs urbains animée par l'agence Anoyoji Beltrando   2014 - 2020: Les Grands Voisins, Occupation temporaire par l'association Aurore, Yes We Camp et la coopérative Plateaux Urbains   2010 : Première étude de faisabilité 

  La création et réalisation de la ZAC Saint-Vincent- de-Paul (2016) et sa modification (2020)    
  La concertation     Une exposition a été organisée du mercredi 11 mai au mercredi 1er juin 2016 à la mairie du 14ème arrondissement, 2, place Ferdinand Brunot, 75014 Paris et sur le site, salle de la lingerie, entrée par le 82, avenue Denfert Rochereau 75014 Paris.Des visites guidées de l’exposition ont été proposées lors des deux permanences organisées de 18h30 à 20h les 25 et 26 mai 2016 sur le site, salle de la lingerie, entrée par le 82, avenue Denfert Rochereau 75014 Paris.Télécharger les panneaux de l'exposition (format PDF : 12,3 Mo)Un registre papier en mairie du 14ème arrondissement et un registre électronique via [concertation puis stvincentdepaul.fr après le signe @]pbapregngvba@fgivapragqrcnhy.se[concertation puis stvincentdepaul.fr après le signe @] ont été mis à disposition du public jusqu'au 1er juin 2016.Une réunion publique d'information s'est déroulée le mercredi 1er juin 2016 à 19h00 sur le site, salle Colombani, entrée par le 82, avenue Denfert Rochereau 75014 Paris.Télécharger l'invitation (format PDF : 862 Ko)Télécharger le compte-rendu (format PDF : 1,70 Mo)Le Comité d'organisation de la concertation s'est réuni les 14 avril, 10 mai, 6 juin et 16 novembre 2016.Télécharger le compte-rendu du 14 avril ( format PDF : 446 Ko)Télécharger le compte-rendu du 10 mai (format PDF : 118 Ko)Télécharger le compte-rendu du 6 juin (format PDF : 326 Ko)Télécharger le compte-rendu du 16 novembre (format PDF : 590 Ko)Approbation du bilan de la concertationLors de la séance des 4, 5, 6 et 7 juillet 2016, le Conseil de Paris a voté l'approbation du bilan de la concertation préalable (2016 DU 132-1) et les modalités de mise à disposition du public du dossier d’étude d’impact environnemental (2016 DU 132-2) en vue de la création de la Zone d’Aménagement Concerté (ZAC) Saint-Vincent-de-Paul (14e).Télécharger l'exposé des motifs (format PDF : 146 Ko)Télécharger le bilan de la concertation (format PDF : 995 Ko)Télécharger la délibération DU 132-1 (format PDF : 110 Ko)Télécharger la délibération DU 132-2 (format PDF : 115 Ko)Etude d'impact environnementalLe dossier du projet de création de ZAC comprenant son étude d'impact environnemental a été mis à disposition du public du jeudi 15 septembre au vendredi 14 octobre 2016.Ce dossier a été déposé à la mairie du 14ème arrondissement et mis à la disposition du public qui a pu en prendre connaissance et consigner ses observations sur le registre déposé à cet effet. Il était également consultable sur la plateforme participative dédiée sur laquelle un registre électronique était mis à disposition.Un atelier de présentation de l'étude d'impact a eu lieu le lundi 26 septembre 2016 à 19h00 à l'ancien hôpital Saint Vincent de Paul, Bâtiment et salle Colombani, 82, avenue Denfert Rochereau 75014 PARIS.Télécharger l'affiche de présentation (format PDF : 290 Ko)Télécharger le compte rendu (format PDF : 486 Ko)   - Etudes patrimoniales : Etude de juin 2013 réalisée par le Groupe de recherche Art histoire architecture et littérature (GRAHAL) Consultez le document- Lecture du site et orientations de l'équipe de maîtrise d'oeuvre urbaine Anyoji Beltrando (novembre 2015) Téléchargez le document- Etude urbaine « Inventer un jardin habité ». Etude de capacité en vue d’une évolution du PLU réalisée par l'équipe Atelier Xavier Lauzeral. Consultez le document 

  En savoir plus  

 
Walmart has renewed its partnership with specialty waste and environmental services company Denali, which will provide the retailer with food waste recycling at all of its U.S. locations, according to a Tuesday press release. 
Through the agreement, the companies will divert non-edible food from landfills to instead create compost, feed animals and generate renewable energy. A Denali spokesperson noted that this announcement is the first time Walmart and Denali have made their partnership public.    
This announcement marks Walmart’s latest effort to bolster its sustainability efforts after introducing a number of new initiatives in recent years.
 The renewed agreement will help Walmart to achieve its waste diversion goal, according to a Denali spokesperson, as millions of pounds of food will go toward “beneficial uses.” 
In its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance report, Walmart stated it wanted to reduce operational food waste by 50% by 2030 and has already achieved approximately a 12% reduction as of the end of 2022. The retailer also has the goal of achieving zero waste to landfills and incineration in its Canada, Mexico and U.S. markets by 2025. For its U.S. operations, Walmart diverted 78% of its waste materials last year, per the report. 
The partnership builds on Walmart’s efforts to move toward a circular economy, which involves putting focus on the reuse, recycling and regeneration of materials, the Denali spokesperson said. 
Both companies will continue to explore new strategies and tools to reduce food waste and support recycling, per the press release. 
Across its operations, Denali recycles over 10 billion pounds of organic materials annually with a significant portion coming from grocery retailers, according to the announcement. The company works with compost manufacturers, including its own network of two dozen compost facilities, to transform food waste, and works with local farms, where certain foods are used as animal feed. Denali also provides food waste to anaerobic digesters for the creation of renewable energy. 
The greenhouse gas mitigation impact of Denali’s food waste recycling efforts is annually equal to taking around 100,000 cars off the road or providing electricity to over 60,000 homes for a year, the press release noted.  
This is not the first time Walmart has made strides to lessen its food waste. In March 2022, the retailer signed on to the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment, an organization working to reduce food waste by 50% along the West Coast by 2030. 
Walmart has also made internal moves to improve sustainability among its products. As of September, the retailer’s Great Value private label line now includes compostable cutlery, which is in line with several of its sustainability goals, including reducing its virgin plastic use, achieving zero emissions by 2024 and making all of its private brand packaging 100% recyclable, reusable or industrially compostable by 2025.  

Two local companies have partnered to process food waste from thousands of grocery stores into compost and other beneficial materials.
Walmart and Russellville-based Denali earlier this month announced a renewed agreement to collect food past its edible lifespan from more than 4,600 Walmart locations across the U.S. The organic material is then composted, converted into animal feed and processed in anaerobic digesters for energy generation, according to Denali’s news release.
“Walmart is a leader and innovator in making retail more sustainable. Denali is proud to provide services that bring Walmart closer to its goal of zero waste in its U.S. operations by 2025,” Denali CEO Todd Mathes said.
The agreement represents just one portion of Denali’s organics recycling operation, which also collects waste from thousands of other grocery stores and industries. Denali says it’s the nation’s leading organics recycler and diverts billions of pounds of waste a year from landfills.
It’s also not the first time the two corporations have cooperated, though it’s the first time the relationship has been publicized. Walmart has set goals to keep all of its U.S. waste out of landfills and cut food waste in half by 2030.
The two are linked in another way as well. Walmart provided the original grant to start NWA Recycles in 2021, and Denali is among the local stakeholders that work with us in seeking ways to improve the region’s recycling programs. Together they illustrate the substantial interest and capability for recycling in this corner of Arkansas.
compostingdenalifood wasterecyclingsustainabilitywalmartwaste reduction 

     Walmart’s grocery business continues to grow amid a challenging economic season and cash-strapped consumers. After spending several years and untold millions revamping its supply chain and in-store delivery capabilities, Walmart will now offer Express Delivery for items in as little as 30 minutes as well as Late Night Delivery services at over 4,000 locations in addition to same-day and in-home delivery options. Its next-gen fulfillment centers are ready to plate tables and stuff stockings as consumers look toward the holidays and new year.
Walmart’s ambitious grocery plans are paying big dividends. Shares of its stock have hit an all-time high and investors hope for a strong holiday season from the big-box retailer as more higher-income shoppers are turning to the super retailer to address their grocery and gifting needs. Walmart has also enjoyed double-digit e-commerce gains the past two quarters, eclipsing competitors such as Target.
Many will be looking toward the calendar with an eye not only on their budgets, baubles, and bubbles for the holidays, but also toward reducing food waste for themselves and their families. Despite a softer economic landing than many predicted, food is still wildly expensive for many consumers—the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the food index rose 0.2% in September, as it did the previous two months; food at home increased 0.1% and food away from home rose almost half a percentage point.
Some may even opt to go cold turkey on, well, turkey, as the predicted cost of a Thanksgiving meal is expected to be more—not less—than last year.
Many are spending only what they need to in the food/bev space to fill their plates and bellies without too much waste making its way into the compost or garbage can. Americans waste an astounding volume of food—more than 119 billion pounds per year, according to data from FeedingAmerica.Org—the equivalent of over 130 billion meals and almost half a trillion dollars thrown away each year.

Giving Away Food Can Bolster Revenue
Nearly 40% of all food in America is wasted.
“Walmart and other retailers should be even more aggressive in rescuing food BEFORE it gets upcycled,” said Kimberly Smith to The Food Institute. Smith is CEO of Copia, a leading technology platform for managing food surplus redistribution for retailers, grocers, restaurants, and more.
“As the new EPA Wasted Food Scale indicates, donation is at least as important as upcycling when it comes to food surplus. But when retailers—who account for 20% of the food waste in America—choose to donate first, there are multiple advantages.”
Smith said donating helps the bottom line because retailers are able to spend less on waste hauling and, more critically, can claim an enhanced tax deduction up to twice the base value of the donated food.
“Further, one in ten Americans struggle with food insecurity, so by donating their surplus, large retailers like Walmart are able to make a dramatic impact on hunger in the communities in which they operate.”
Walmart recently renewed its partnership with Denali, a specialty waste and environmental services company, which will provide Walmart food waste recycling at all of its domestic locations. The recent announcement comes after Walmart’s continuing sustainability efforts and new initiatives piloted over the last several years, such as the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment, and Walmart hopes to divert its non-edible food from landfills to instead create animal feed, compost, and generate renewable energy.
According to its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance report, Walmart hopes to reduce operational food waste by 50% by 2030 and has already achieved over 10% as of the end of 2022; last year, Walmart diverted 78% of its waste materials.
In an era of increased greenwashing and many companies abandoning once-ambitious ESG plans altogether, Walmart appears to be making real strides toward helping reduce food waste, solve food deserts, and burnishing its worldwide brand a little more.
“Companies can enhance sales strategy by implementing intelligent pricing and markdown techniques, including the use of markdown alert applications to offer near-expiry products at discounted prices with greater efficiency,” said Cristina Solis, an environmental engineer and sustainability consultant at Green Hive, a platform that promotes sustainability practices.
Solis said reducing food waste can benefit grocers and retailers at any scale with several notable long-term solutions:

Reducing food waste can in fact bolster revenue by claiming tax deductions, reducing costs associated with waste disposal, and enticing eco-conscious consumers into the store.
Companies can shine their brand image and appeal to a customer base more savvy and concerned with corporate practices than ever before.
Humanitarian and ecologically minded company practices have been proven to also increase employee satisfaction and increase productivity.

“Food waste is simply a logistical issue,” said Hillary Cohen, co-founder of Every Day Action, a nonprofit that helps eliminate food waste by redistributing unused meals from film and TV sets.
In 2015, the USDA joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and set a goal to cut that nation’s food waste by 50% by 2030. Walmart has also made internal strides with its own products to meet its ESG goals—its Great Value line of private label cutlery is now compostable, helping to reduce virgin plastic use in hopes of achieving zero emissions by 2024 and eventually making all of its private brand packaging 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025.
    

 ReCirculate compost from Denali will be available at 600-plus Walmart stores across the country by April, in time for peak spring planting season.   ReCirculate, a premium compost product made from unconsumed food sourced from thousands of grocery stores by Denali, a Russellville, Ark.-based recycler of organics, is now available for purchase at more than 100 Walmart locations in eight southern states. Packaged in 1-cubic-foot bags and retailing for a suggested $6.97, consistent with other products of its kind, ReCirculate will be available at 600-plus Walmart stores across the country  by April, in time for peak spring planting season. Denali works with Walmart and other retailers to leverage their unsaleable food with Denali’s depackaging technology that separates organic food from its packaging and transforms it into a clean stream of materials that are then made into such useful products as compost, soil, fertilizer and renewable energy. The process simplifies the depackaging process for retailers while keeping unsold food out of landfills. “The ReCirculate product is a perfect example of Walmart’s circular business models and how we make the most of our resources,” said RJ Zanes, VP of facility services at Walmart. “We’re taking unsalable merchandise and repurposing it into a different product we can sell on our shelves – benefiting our business, our customers and the planet.”Denali repurposes uneaten food, helping fight climate change by diverting organic material from landfills and returning nutrients to agriculture and horticulture. 

JULIE GALLAGHERAURORA, Colo. -- A Wal-Mart supercenter here will turn fresh produce, deli, meat, bakery and dairy food waste into compost and experiment with used cooking oil as a potential heating source.The tests are two of more than 50 environmentally friendly measures being tried in the supercenter that opened earlier this month. The Aurora location is Wal-Mart's second ecologically friendly experimental store. The first one, launched in July in McKinney, Texas, is testing the two recycling projects along with 24 other experiments.Wal-Mart Stores created the ecologically friendly store format to learn more about how it and the entire industry can improve environmental sustainability, according to the retailer. The company plans to focus more attention on reducing energy costs and adopting environmentally sound practices as it opens new stores, said Lee Scott, the retailer's chairman and chief executive officer, in a recent speech."As we start building new stores, we are committed to developing a new prototype that will be 25% to 30% more efficient and produce 30% less greenhouse gas emissions than current stores and it will be operational within the next four years," Scott said in the speech.Officials are watching the experiments closely. Information relating to both stores' energy efficiency is collected, monitored and compared to that of nearby traditional Wal-Mart supercenters. In addition to sharing results with the retail industry, general public and government agencies, Wal-Mart will apply the findings to future stores, the retailer said."The experiments in this experimental store will help us evaluate some new technologies which we hope will save energy, reduce maintenance and add more profits to the bottom line," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Tara Stewart said. "All this while we do our part to save the environment for future generations."The Aurora store's fresh food handlers are being educated about the types of waste that are appropriate for composting. Wal-Mart will begin separating its organic waste in the Aurora store next month when the 30-day training period ends."There is a learning curve with new stores," said Bob Yost, vice president of new business development, A1 Organics, Eaton, Colo. "We can compost any organic material that is carbon-based or once living. We're training the staff on how to properly separate the waste."In addition to creating compost for Wal-Mart's Aurora store, A1 Organics works with some of Whole Foods Market's and Wild Oats Markets' Colorado stores, Yost said.Though many types of waste -- ranging from cake to soda pop, and untreated and unpainted wood -- are appropriate for composting, fruits and vegetables usually make up a big portion of retailers' organic food waste, he said."When fruit is sorted, presale, [retailers] often have apples that are bruised and don't meet the quality standards or they'll have to discard some of the lettuce they use to prepare a salad in the deli," Yost said.Waste that is appropriate for composting will be collected in specially marked containers that are emptied into a 10-ton compactor in the back of the store, Yost said. Once the compactor is full, its contents will be taken to A1 Organics' facility where the material will be broken down by microorganisms to a point where the compost can be safely applied to the environment. The process takes between 90 and 120 days. Wal-Mart plans to have the compost packaged so that it can be sold in its stores.The retailer is currently exploring composting "leftovers" from food consumed in the store, according to Yost. The process is known as post-sale composting. The Aurora store features a Subway restaurant and a Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza."[Wal-Mart] said they're wide open to [the post-sale composting idea]," Yost said. "I've been very impressed with [the retailer's] willingness to incorporate some of [A1 Organics] new ideas."Although vegetable oil used in Wal-Mart's deli would be appropriate for composting, the experimental stores have other plans for it. When the McKinney store requires heat, vegetable oil that's used for things like frying chicken will be collected and stored in a 100-gallon tank in the kitchen area. The oil from that tank will be pumped to an 800-gallon tank located in the back of the store, according to Mike MacDonald, research engineer, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, an Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based company that is monitoring the results of the experiments at the McKinney site. (ORNL is a U.S. Department of Energy lab.)The used vegetable oil will then be pumped to a 100-gallon tank in the store's boiler room where it will be mixed with waste engine oil from the store's Tire and Lube Express."The deli and Tire and Lube Express areas are on different sides of the building, so the oil has to be pumped to [the central location of] the bio-fuel boiler," Stewart said. "The vegetable oil and the motor oil are stored separately and then combined in the bio-fuel boiler to be burned when heat is needed."When heat is not required, used vegetable oil is "hauled off by contracted recyclers and recycled in [Wal-Mart's] normal way," Stewart said. "All stores recycle used oil, cardboard, paper, plastic bags, film, car batteries, photo processing waste and more."Although the vegetable oil heating system has been tested at the McKinney store, there has yet to be a need for heat in either store. Based on results of the initial test, the process needs work before it will be up and running, MacDonald said."It's still missing some key valves that are required for it to work properly, but it's a pretty darn interesting experiment," he said. "[ORNL] watched the design evolve and [the system] has gotten a lot more complicated."Wal-Mart is doing a similar test at the Aurora store. The heat generated in the boiler is directed into the heating, ventilation and radiant floor heating systems. Once it's fully operational, it could reduce the Aurora supercenter's use of natural gas by just under 22,000 therms per year, according to Wal-Mart's estimate.

 Do you ever stop to consider the grocery section?How all this food got here, and what final destination awaits it? Be it someone’s gi-tract or rotting away in a landfill? The produce aisle is hardly a place for existential thought, but an informed observer may have trouble producing anything but.In 2022, Americans threw away, incinerated or otherwise didn’t eat about 78 million tons of food, according to national nonprofit ReFED. That’s more than a third of the 235 million tons in our food supply.A lot of this waste occurs in a grocery store when unsold food goes bad."I mean, first and foremost, when we have, you know, waste from a food perspective, whether it be expired or whether it have, you know, lost its cold chain, our associates would go pull it, they would ultimately take it to a bin in the back of the store, in a refrigerator."RJ Zanes is vice president of facility services for Walmart U.S. His day-to-day involves ensuring items sold by Walmart get to stores on time. But he also helps the corporation work toward loftier environmental goals by captaining the solid waste team."A lot of our zero emissions initiatives run through our organization," Zanes said. "Such as how we move from high GWP or global warming potential refrigerants to low GWP refrigerants. How we create circularity in all of our goods for sale and ensure that they are recycled and disposed of properly and responsibly. And that's where Zero DePack falls into, that portion of my overall everyday workload."Zero DePack is a new technology that Walmart is partnering with organic waste disposal company Denali to utilize. It’s a large contraption that uses scales and sensors to automatically separate food from its packaging. It then processes the organic matter into a different– yet usable– form.
          A Zero DePack Unit in action.  

Zanes said the operation begins when a Walmart store associate pulls an unsold food item from the shelves. Next they take it, packaging and all, and simply toss it into a bin in the back of the store."We have our logistics infrastructure that would come on a specific frequency to pick up the waste," he said. "Our associates go out prior to the scheduled pickup, put it into the bin that ultimately gets picked up by one of our logistics infrastructure trucks and vehicles that then is taken to either a transfer station— if we don't have the infrastructure or the technology here locally, it will go to a transfer station, get transferred to another vehicle, a larger vehicle, that can take multiple quantities of tonnage, worth of waste. It then gets transferred to where the technology sits."The technology being a Zero DePack unit. Zanes said the final form and purpose of uneaten food varies depending on the material being refined."Say, if it is fresh food waste and it is going to a location that we repurpose it for mulch, it is then put into that technology that then de-packages all of that food waste," he said. "That food waste then gets pushed out as a sludge on the backside. Packages go one way. Sludge goes the other way. That sludge is then mixed with various levels of vegetation— such as the trees that we have trimmed on our properties— and gets pushed into the mix of of all of that food waste sludge. It then goes through a curing process. They mix it, they continue to turn it, allow it to settle, they filter it further, and then they turn it into a fine compost that our farmers use."Food can also be turned into veterinarian-regulated feed for cattle and even converted to methane, which will ultimately become natural gas.Walmart has used this technology for about a year now. There have been logistical challenges, but the advantages of the new technology are apparent. Zanes said associates are now spending less time de-packaging products thanks to the new equipment.Stacy Chaparro is deli and bakery lead at Walmart Supercenter #5260 in Rogers. In addition to the bakery and deli, she oversees all fresh food departments, including produce and meat. When food reaches its sell-by date, it’s her job to make sure it reaches the appropriate receptacle in the correct form. Before Zero DePack, that meant it was free of all packaging, which was not a quick task for her team."They would spend hours, like two hours doing that," Chapparo said. "Whereas now we just claim it out and then we just put it in the bin, or, like, in the tote itself."
          A Walmart associate scans a fresh food item, readying to place it in a bin for de-packaging.  

She leads the way to the back of the deli. A few large bins filled with unopened hot food like wraps and corndogs are waiting there. Chaparro said wraps and sandwiches were especially difficult because almost every ingredient belongs in a different bin."Just throw it in here," she said. "And this is all stuff from the hot case that expired, like, for the time limit. And here's like the corn dogs that we made earlier that didn't sell. And, so now we don't have to take it out of the package, and then we don't have to separate like the chicken and the hot dog."According to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, Walmart produced more than 1.2 million tons of new plastic packaging from December 2020 to December 2021. Only 7% of that plastic was made from post-consumer recycled content. But Zanes said they’re committed to being a sustainable company.Walmart has stated a goal of allowing zero waste into landfills and incineration in its operations in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. by 2025. Although, the company also has stores and facilities in Africa, Asia and South America. Walmart also aims to reduce operational food waste by 50% by 2030– Zanes says he is proud to take point in that endeavor."I'm an avid hunter," Zanes said. "I love getting out in the outdoors, and I want my grandchildren and their grandchildren to experience what I've experienced throughout my lifetime. And it takes us putting these investments corporately into play to make sure that we save our planet and ensure that our future generations have the ability to live just the same way we are today."He said reducing food waste is just one lever Walmart is pulling to reach its sustainability goals."I think that what I'm most proud of is the team," he said. "We'll continue to innovate. The team is after making sure that we get to that 100% mark, with getting to 100% circularity and all of our process mitigating and eliminating all of the waste that we have, as well as getting to a zero emission state across the overall platform, it will take all of us. It's not one of us. It's not somebody in a home office somewhere that's creating it takes all. Our associates out in the field. It takes all of the other businesses, all of our communities, to make this happen. And ultimately we will be at the forefront, continuing to lead, continuing to innovate, continuing to celebrate and get all of the communities involved to eventually, hopefully create a zero emissions planet and a zero waste planet is the overall goal, right?"Ozarks at Large transcripts are created on a deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. The authoritative record of KUAF programming is the audio record.Support KUAF and Keep Public Radio ThrivingFor more than 50 years, KUAF has been your source for reliable news, enriching music and community connection. Your support allows us to bring you trustworthy journalism through programs like Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Ozarks at Large. As we build for the next 50 years, we need your support for KUAF to ensure we continue to provide the news, music, and connections you value. Your support is not just appreciated; it's essential. Make your gift today here.Thank you for supporting KUAF! 

 Walmart will stock the garden departments of at least 600 U.S. stores with compost made out of food waste collected from its grocery operations.  ReCirculate is made by Denali, a 10-year-old organic recycler that has been collecting food waste since July at more than 1,400 Walmart and Sam’s Club locations in 16 markets, including Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Walmart manages 4,700 stores across the U.S.  The compost will be priced just under $7 per one-cubic-foot bag. It’s Denali’s first retail product to market the use of unsalable food as an ingredient. ReCirculate will be sold initially in eight states where Walmart stores sell high quantities of soil supplements: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Walmart’s purchasing team picked the locations. Walmart, the largest U.S. grocery retailer, has pledged to reduce the operational food waste generated by its stores 50 percent by 2030, compared with a 2016 baseline. So far, it has managed a 12 percent cut, after some recalculations. For example, it turns outdated bread into croutons used for salads or into crostinis. Rotisserie chicken might eventually turn up in salads. The retailer is also seeking ways to cut the amount of methane generated by the organic materials it sends to landfills, by processing it in different ways. Walmart diverts 78 percent of all its waste from landfills. Spoiled produce, expired meats and dairy products, out-of-date bread and beverages, and other foods unsold by grocery retailers contribute to an estimated 4.4 million tons in U.S. food waste annually. At least half of those organic materials wind up in landfills, where they contribute to rising methane emissions. There’s also a clear economic impact: a loss of about $3.6 billion across the industry in unsold inventory. Walmart is among the seven retail signatories of the U.S. Food Waste Pact, coordinated by nonprofit ReFed and World Wildlife Fund, that requires organizations to set a food waste reduction goal and report regularly on progress. The other retailers are Ahold Delhaize, Aldi, Albertsons, Amazon Fresh, Kroger and Whole Foods.  Denali picked up and recycled 7 million tons of food waste in 2023, recycling it into animal feed, biodiesel, compost, mulch and soils. Its customers include stadiums, hotels, food production facilities and retailers. The company estimates those collection and mitigation efforts represent the equivalent of taking 100,000 gas-powered cars off the road for a year.  Walmart is the first retailer to use Denali’s “depackaging” technology, Zero De-Pack, which makes it simpler for stores to separate produce and other food from cardboard boxes, metal cans, plastic containers and wrappers. The two have been collaborating for two years. “It’s great to see unique partnerships at the food recycling level,” said Jackie Suggitt, vice president of business initiatives and community engagement at ReFed. Many grocers are using technology and other best practices to prevent waste in the first place, but we’re always going to have food that will require attention at the end of its life, she said. Denali provides bins with a capacity of three cubic yards, where retailers deposit food waste on a daily basis. Denali’s fleet of 1,300 trucks empty them on a weekly basis or when the bins are full. The depackaging equipment handles the separation automatically at one of its facilities.  The compost being sold in Walmart’s stores will contain organic matter collected from all of Denali’s customers, not just Walmart. Denali collects “from thousands of retail locations, so it’s difficult to say that a specific food waste item went into a bag that originated from a specific retailer,” said Eric Speiser, chief revenue officer. Denali declined to provide a life-cycle analysis of the emissions associated with processing and transporting ReCirculate to retailers, compared with similar products. Generally speaking, turning organic matter into compost is far less-intensive than allowing it to decay in landfills, Suggitt said. “It comes down to how far it’s being transported, is it replacing fertilizer, is it being used?” she said. Denali works with a network of two dozen compost facilities and also sells compost in bulk to garden and nursery outlets, builders, golf courses and landscapers. Denali’s other products, such as animal feed, are custom-blended for farmers, ranchers and aquaculture operations, Speiser said. Its biodiesel and lubricants are sold to automotive companies. [Gain insights to move beyond incremental action and accelerate the shift to a circular economy at Circularity, April 29-May 1, Denver, CO.] 

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Walmart Inc. is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Walmart 

Denali Corp is an innovative environmental organization focused on transforming unused organic materials. Their mission is to unlock the value of organic waste by diverting materials from landfills and creating sustainable solutions. Specifically, they produce:
- High-quality animal feed
- Biofuels
- Organic fertilizers
The company is committed to positively impacting communities and the environment by reimagining how organic materials are utilized, rather than simply disposing of them in landfills.

Denali

<p>Walmart has partnered with Denali, a specialty waste and environmental services company, to implement a comprehensive food waste recycling programme across all its U.S. locations. This initiative aims to divert non-edible food from landfills, instead repurposing it to create compost, feed animals, and generate renewable energy.<a href="https://www.grocerydive.com/news/walmart-food-waste-sustainability-denali/696741/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">4</a>&nbsp;The programme demonstrates a successful circular economy model in the retail sector, addressing the critical issue of food waste whilst creating valuable resources.</p>