Giant Eagle Hits Milestone In Food Waste Reduction Efforts

Giant Eagle efforts to reduce food waste have hit a significant milestone as the regional grocer said it has diverted more than 1 million pounds of food from landfills, which has saved shoppers more than $2.5 million on groceries.

The achievement is due to the integration of the Flashfood program into Giant Eagle stores beginning in 2021, which is now available across 167 locations.

"At Giant Eagle, we're constantly looking for ways to reduce in-store generated food waste and achieve carbon neutrality," said Dan Donovan, Giant Eagle spokesperson. "Flashfood has been incredibly impactful to our efforts and goals. Today's milestone is a testament to the success of the program in the communities that we serve."

Flashfood users utilize an app as a way to save up to 50% off high-quality items nearing their best-by date, such as meats, dairy, seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables. Shoppers are able to browse and buy discounted food items directly through the Flashfood app on their mobile phone, and then simply pick up their order from the Flashfood Zone located inside their participating Giant Eagle store.

To date, as a result of Flashfood's partnerships with more than 1,550 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada, more than 65 million pounds of food have been diverted from landfills and shoppers have saved over $150 million on their grocery bills.

As a result of diverting one million pounds of food from landfills, Giant Eagle and Flashfood have together saved what equates to nearly 840,000 pounds of CO2e- emissions from reaching the atmosphere. Rather than being prematurely thrown out, the food purchased through Flashfood was enjoyed by 16,000 families across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Indiana and West Virginia.

"This milestone is just the beginning of the impact we will continue to have in partnership with Giant Eagle," says Josh Domingues, founder & CEO of Flashfood. "The one million pounds of food saved so far demonstrates just how much we can achieve through like-minded partnerships centered around sustainability. Giant Eagle has consistently proven their commitment to giving families access to quality, affordable foods while doing good for the planet."