Rite Aid Takes Steps to Combat Food Waste

Rite Aid is furthering its efforts to reduce waste and make an impact in the communities it serves throughout California by partnering with Copia, a food surplus tracking and donation platform. Rite Aid is the first retail pharmacy chain to partner with the company to make and track food donations.

Rite Aid’s California stores will be matched with local nonprofit organizations focused on combating food insecurity via the platform, and the partnership will allow Rite Aid to leverage Copia’s surplus redistribution platform to track inventory, prove compliance and record impact. 

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“The health and wellness of others is at the center of everything we do, and Copia is empowering us to deliver on that promise in another deeply meaningful way,” said Joy Errico, SVP and chief corporate affairs and communications officer for Rite Aid. “Together, we are poised to not only reduce waste but also support those who need it most, exemplifying the care and compassion that define our company’s values.”

Carbon footprint reduction, including reducing the amount of food that ends up in landfills, is a main goal of Rite Aid’s corporate responsibility program. The company is also exploring new partnerships and opportunities to enhance its efforts around waste reduction, fleet efficiency and energy demand.

Employing nearly 6,000 pharmacists, Philadelphia-based Rite Aid operates more than 1,700 retail pharmacy locations across 16 states. The company is No. 22 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.