New Carbon Credit Project Incentivizes Grocers to Donate More Food
As food waste has come to the forefront as a top sustainability issue in recent years, one organization is offering a solution to grocers seeking to do their part to prevent consumable items from going to landfills. Illinois-based startup Therm Solutions, Inc., which helps monetize climate action, announced this week that it is introducing a first-of-it-kind food loss diversion carbon credit project to help food retailers address onsite food waste.
According to Therm Solutions, the project will “redirect” edible food that would otherwise go to landfills at more than 1,300 grocery stores and 18 food distribution centers across seven states. The diverted food will go to various donation centers.
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Therm anticipates that the avoided food waste will lead to more than 112,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (mTCO2e) carbon credits, issued on an annual basis. The project is listed on Verra’s VCS Registry, which allows certified projects to turn in their greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions and removals into tradable carbon credits.
"Decarbonizing the food supply chain by targeting food waste at its source — grocery stores — is a major opportunity for both people and planet,” declared Fritz Troller, CEO and co-founder of Therm. “Food waste is a complex problem for the industry, and historically grocers haven’t had a climate-friendly, cost-effective solution."
Carbon credits give grocers another incentive to donate edible food as a way to improve their sustainability and corporate responsibility efforts and results, he added. “Through carbon credits, Therm empowers grocers to adopt sustainable practices that benefit their operations, the environment, and the American people,” Troller said.
