Kroger Announces Fight to End Grocery Waste

The Kroger Co., donated nearly 1.3 million meals through West Virginia food banks last year, says its new national effort is aiming at helping end hunger and eliminating waste across the grocery company by 2025.

Chief Executive Rodney McMullen says more than 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. isn’t consumed and an estimated 72 billion pounds goes to landfills annually.

He says no food in their stores should be wasted, no families in those communities going hungry.

The company has requested ideas to carry out its “Zero Hunger/Zero Waste” plan.

Federal data shows that 12 percent of households or 41 million Americans with “food insecurity” last year, with West Virginia above the national average.

Kroger lists stores in 30 states, with 41 in West Virginia.