6 More Sprouts Stores Earn Grocery Stewardship Certification

Six Sprouts Farmers Market grocery stores in Florida have garnered Manomet’s Grocery Stewardship Certification (GSC), bringing the total number of the grocer’s stores in the program to 90. The GSC recognizes a retailer’s commitment to operational best practices that lower a store’s environmental impact, reduce operating costs and save resources.

Grocers participating in the GSC receive data on costs saved through operational sustainability efforts; revenue-generating sustainability opportunities; employee engagement strategies; and metrics on waste, water, energy and other conservation initiatives. The six Florida Sprouts locations that earned GSC certification have so far saved more than $376,000, an average of $61,000 per store; more than 420 tons of food waste from going to landfills; more than 2 million gallons of water from being used; and more than 4,600 metric tons of greenhouse gases from being released

“As we continue to grow and expand across the country, Manomet’s Grocery Stewardship Certification has allowed us to measure the social, environmental and financial impact of our sustainability initiatives in our store operations,” said Sprouts VP of Sustainability Carlos Rojas. “From waste and energy reduction to operational efficiencies, this information has allowed us to be more strategic in how we create positive impact in our communities and bottom line.”

“Sprouts Farmers Market takes sustainability seriously,” noted Peter Cooke, director of retail sustainability for Manomet, a Plymouth, Mass.-based nonprofit that develops science-based, cooperative solutions to environmental problems. “Sprouts believes in being a good neighbor in the communities they serve. By reducing their impact on the planet and operating more efficiently, they are showing that they value both their employees and their customers. We look forward to continue working with them!”

Since launching in 2012, the GSC has enrolled more than 1,000 grocery stores in the United States and Canada. According to Manomet, the GSC is the only certification program to expand into employee practices and procedures to engage all stores within a chain. 

Phoenix-based Sprouts employs more than 30,000 associates and operates 325-plus stores in 21 states. The company is No. 22 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.