UNFI Opts for Quest’s Waste, Recycling and Food Waste Diversion Solutions

Move helps accelerate the distributor’s operational and sustainability goals

4/19/2024

Quest's turnkey solutions will help UNFI reach its waste diversion goals through operational improvements, cost-efficiencies and improved service.

United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) has entered into an agreement with the Quest Resource Management Group subsidiary of Quest Resource Holding Corp. to implement waste, recycling, and food waste diversion services across the distributor’s U.S. and Canadian facilities. The turnkey solutions will help UNFI reach its waste diversion goals through operational improvements, cost-efficiencies and improved service.

“Our white-glove approach to client service will provide [UNFI] with a superior experience while advancing their results toward key business and sustainability goals,” noted S. Ray Hatch, president and CEO of The Colony, Texas-based Quest, adding: “Quest’s solutions address all business waste streams, and for many clients, food waste is a top priority. We use a combination of proven processes and pioneered protocols, such as our patented Quest Proganics, to achieve historic diversion rates for organic waste – up to 96% – while providing improved costs.”

In support of its strategic focus on delivering cost effective landfill diversion solutions, Quest provides data and metrics for waste and recycling programs. The data gives full transparency into a client’s waste and recycling programs and provides the insight necessary for continuous program improvement. The client can access the data and all supporting documents through its Quest portal and can be used as a source for corporate ESG and sustainability reporting.

In other UNFI sustainability news, the company also recently teamed up with Samsara Inc. to implement vehicle telematics, asset gateways, environmental monitors and video-based safety.

Providence, R.I.-based UNFI delivers a wide variety of products to more than 30,000 customer locations throughout North America, including natural product superstores, independent retailers, conventional supermarket chains, e-commerce retailers and foodservice customers. The largest publicly traded grocery distributor in America, the company is No. 20 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.