CINCINNATI – As part of the release of its seventh annual sustainability report earlier this week, Kroger announced that it is committed to advancing its stores toward “zero waste,” Supermarket News reports. 

The supermarket chain said it is moving toward the Environmental Protection Agency’s zero waste threshold of 90% in all of its retail location. In order to achieve that goal, it will increase its diversion rate to 65% for all stores by the end of this year and to 70% by the end of 2015. Today, the company diverts 58% of its waste.

"For 130 years, Kroger has aimed to serve each individual customer, every day, and to be good stewards of our communities and the environment," said David Dillon, Kroger's chairman and chief executive officer, in a statement. "Our sustainability progress today is part of this proud heritage, thanks to more than 343,000 associates who are helping make each community we serve a better place to live."

The report also noted that Kroger reduced its overall carbon footprint last year by 4.8%, despite growing in size and sales. And since 2000, it has reduced overall energy consumption in stores by 32.7%, saving more than 2.48 billion kilowatt-hours.