03/28/2023

Food Lion Marks 22 Years as Energy Star Partner of the Year

Grocer leads U.S. companies in sustainability recognition from EPA

Managing Editor

More than 900 of Food Lion’s 1,100-plus stores are Energy Star certified.

For the 22nd consecutive year, Food Lion has earned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star Partner of the Year Award for its work lowering energy consumption. The grocer is the only company in the United States to receive this honor for 22 years.

Over the past year, Food Lion has reduced its energy usage per square foot by 29%. The company’s cumulative energy savings since becoming an Energy Star partner in 2000 equals 2.9 billion British thermal units – comparable to 73,042 homes’ electricity usage for one year, 14,222,837 incandescent lamps switched to LED and the carbon sequestered by 6,207,189 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

“We know that our customers are committed to sustainability, and we honor that commitment every day through our sustainable business practices,” said Matt Yates, Food Lion’s VP of brand strategy. “We take pride in being one of the nation’s leaders in energy conservation and efficiency. We will continue honoring this commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and be a neighbor our customers can count on to make a difference in the towns and cities we serve.”

In keeping with its commitment to sustainability, Food Lion has allocated 33% more funds to lighting upgrades in store. Last year, the retailer converted 210 stores from fluorescent lights to LED, which means that now almost 75% of all Food Lion stores have upgraded lighting. More conversions are on tap for 2023.

More than 900 of Food Lion’s 1,100-plus stores are Energy Star certified. The grocer also earned GreenChill Platinum-level certification in 2022 for a store in Southport, N.C., with a refrigeration system using carbon dioxide, a natural refrigerant with zero ozone depletion potential.

Additionally, Food Lion diverted 81% of its waste in 2022, including more than 18,123 tons of biogas, compositing and animal feed. The retailer also donated 62 million pounds of edible food to food-insecure people throughout its 10-state footprint.

Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion operates more than 1,100 stores. Its parent company, Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is No. 10 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.