Southeastern Grocers gives ESG update

Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie, has released its 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility Progress Report. The report gives an update on how the Jacksonville, Fla.-based company is meeting its ESG goals.

“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, president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers. “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.”

In Store Brands’ 2022 Game Changers feature story, Southeastern Grocers earned honors for six of its SE Grocers products, all of which are innovating private label with sustainability. SEG said it 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.

SEG’s nonprofit, the SEG Gives Foundation, donated more than 18.6 million meals to help fight food insecurity, and donated more than $1.1 million to aid and support disaster relief efforts last year. 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.

The company also said it recycled nearly 50% more food in 2021 than the previous year, and recycled 134 million pounds of cardboard to save over 1.1 million trees. They also introduced digital receipts as an eco-friendly option for customers to further diminish waste. 

In addition to these initiatives, SEG 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 added that to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, the grocer will participate in several local initiatives including the Tree Hill Earth Day Festival in Jacksonville, hosting design contests with local schools in partnership with Florida State Parks, volunteer days and more.

More on SEG’s ESG goals can be found here.