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RETAIL SUSTAI“NABILITY AWARDS - WEIS MARKETS ”
Weis Markets is truly a leader in sustainability practices in our field. JEANNE VON ZASTROW, FOOD MARKETING INSTITUTE
recycling, food donations, and our energy awareness program, where we teach all of our associates to conserve energy,” says Olenick.
The green leaders started in the fall of 2014. Their first assignment was taking on the Grocery Stewardship Certification Program, which is a system designed by the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences (a nonprofit organization of inter- national scientists, headquartered in Plymouth, MA) to help retailers reduce their environmental footprint, explains Olenick. She credits Hannaford Bros. Co. as an early adapter.
“Weis green leaders performed a complete green inventory in their stores, reported back to us, and that informa- tion is being summarized now,” says Olenick. They have since gone through corporate energy awareness training, which includes instructional signage and a video.
“Also, we’re distributing a communica- tion board for each store with an energy report on it to monitor energy use status,” says Olenick. “The communication board is the responsibility of the green leader. As a company, we send out information every month on how to perform better.”
Weis Markets' Creating Energy Aware- ness Program is highlighted in FMI's sustainability guide for practitioners, as an exemplary case study of sustainability in action, according to FMI's Von Zastrow. "Weis Markets is truly a leader in sustain- ability practices in our field."
Continually cycling the wheels of sustainability, Weis is committed to protecting and improving the environ- ment in tandem with product quality, safety and shelf life. More profoundly, Weis’ efforts revitalize communities and the quality of life for the good of the broader public — bringing sustainability full circle. pb
conduct practices correctly and also creates enthusiasm for the mission, which is critical for proper follow through,” according to Olenick. She says green leaders in every store represent the “grassroots” efforts being made by each team.
“The green leaders are responsible for helping us educate and inform all employees of the company’s sustain- ability initiatives. They also facilitate
42 / MAY 2015 / PRODUCE BUSINESS