2022 Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle Aims to Be 100% Carbon Neutral
Through a collaboration with GreenPrint, Giant Food’s 30th annual Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle, set for June 25-26 in Washington, D.C., is aiming to be 100% carbon neutral. This is the first time since 2019 that the event will be held in person.
The event will feature live music, family entertainment and, of course, barbecue. This collaboration also extends Giant’s work with global environmental technology company GreenPrint; together, the organizations plan to offset up to 30% of consumers’ vehicle emissions generated from gas sold at Giant Food gas pumps. The retailer also recently added two fully electric Giant Delivers vehicles to its fleet.
“GreenPrint is proud to be a part of this event and offset the carbon footprint,” said Pete Davis, co-founder and CEO of Atlanta-based GreenPrint. “Giant Food is clearly demonstrating that they share environmental goals with their customers. Defending and preserving our planet is not only the right thing to do, it’s good business. Companies that are able to navigate the business of sustainability will be best positioned for future success.”
Giant’s sustainability partners Divert, Loop and Volta will also be on site at the event. Divert, a Concord, Mass.-based company leading the decarbonization of food waste in the retail industry by donating, repurposing and processing unsold food, will install 20 bins throughout the festival to collect food waste and turn it into clean energy. Trenton, N.J.-based Loop, the circular reuse platform that offers a selection of products in reusable packaging, will debut its upcoming in-store purchase and return experience at Giant stores during the Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle. San Francisco-based Volta, an electric vehicle-charging network, will acknowledge Giant’s “A Million Miles Charged” milestone after delivering more than 1 million electric miles to customers.
“We aim to be a leader in the sustainable grocery space and look forward to furthering our commitments to making a positive environmental impact by offering these programs to the communities Giant serves,” said Steven Jennings, brand lead for health and sustainability at Ahold Delhaize USA, Giant Food’s parent company. “With more than 125,000 visitors to our Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle, this is an ideal forum to share resources and sustainable examples with our guests, introducing them to the exciting work we are undertaking with these partners, GreenPrint, Divert, Loop and Volta.”
Giant and GreenPrint’s mission to make the Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle 100% carbon neutral is one of several certified offset projects that further environmental innovation to reduce the harmful effects of carbon while including projects for reforestation, alternative energy and methane reduction.
Based in Landover, Md., Giant Food operates 164 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia, with approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 164 stores are 152 full-service pharmacies, 92 full-service PNC Banks and 26 Starbucks locations. Parent company Ahold Delhaize USA is No. 10 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
