F
FWRA Toolkit: Getting Started-Best Practices
Resource: Wegman‘s Retailer Guidelines
Resource: Feeding America’s Good Samaritan Act
Store Recycling Guidelines
Table of Contents
Sustainability at Wegmans .......................................................................................................... 1
Getting Started: ................................................................................................................... 2
What We Measure............................................................................................................... 4
The Hierarchy of Food Recycling....................................................................................... 5
What Can Be Recycled – Simplification Approved Containers ......................................... 6
What Can Be Recycled? - Baler ......................................................................................... 7
What Can Be Recycled? - Plastic Bags and Stretch/Shrink Wrap: .................................... 8
What Can Be Recycled? - Mixed Recyclables Chute:........................................................ 9
Food Waste Diversion: Donation Guidelines ................................................................... 10
Compactor DO NOT THROW List: ................................................................................. 12
Wegmans Equipment Storage Facility Guidelines (Brockport ESF) ............................... 14
Other Questions: ............................................................................................................... 15
Sustainability at Wegmans
“Business practices and strategies that promote the long-term well-being of our people, our
environment, and our company.”
This is what sustainability means to us. Recycling is one way in which you can help the
company reduce waste, protect the environment and save money. This guide was designed as a
toolkit to help green teams establish successful recycling programs with simplification in mind.
Good people working towards a common goal can accomplish anything they set out to do!
“Caring, respect, empowerment, high standards, and making a difference in the community are
values that we try to live everyday at Wegmans.” -Danny Wegman
1
Getting Started:
Attain store
management support:
Sustainability is a priority at Wegmans. Recycling is an opportunity
to save money while reducing our impact on the landfill. Any savings
generated by your store goes straight to the bottom line.
Choose a Green Team
Champion:
This individual should be passionate about recycling, and will be in
charge of forming and maintaining a “Green Team.”
Form a “Green Team:”
These individuals should be dedicated to promote recycling
throughout the store. These members will be important to their
department to educate employees and reinforce recycling efforts.
The “Green Team” should involve Team Leaders (STLs) and/or fulltime employees.
Educate your green
team:
Start with an overview of Sustainability at Wegmans
(www.wegmans.com/sustainability)
Review the principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Use this guide to train your team about your store’s recycling program
basics.
Suzanne Dunn (Recycling Coordinator) and Jason Wadsworth
(Sustainability Coordinator) are available to come to your store to help
you kick start your program with your team.
5S Department
Recycling Bins:
Use this color coding system and container selection to 5S your
program.
Continued on next page
2
Getting Started: Continued
Lock the
Compactor:
Know your
Junk:
Communicate
and Reward
Progress:
Perform mini waste audits by locking the compactor. Knowing what valuable
commodities are being thrown away is an essential form of education.
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Meet monthly to review store/division recycling reports
http://wnet/vapplications/StoreDocs/reports/currentReports.
asp Resources/Newsletters & Reports/Reports/Procurement
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Jack’s company goal is 65%. Set an incremental goal (2-5%) for the
quarter as you strive for 65%.
Celebrate your progress!!
3
What We Measure
Cost and
Savings:
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Mixed
Recycling:
COST: Every time your compactor is picked up by the waste hauler,
your store is charged a “hauling fee.” At the landfill you are charged
an additional per ton fee “tipping fee” to dump the load.
Company average cost for disposal is
SAVINGS: Your store is paid to recycle. You also avoid the cost of
hauling and tipping fees by sending fewer compactors to the landfill.
Every store recycles cardboard, stretch/shrink wrap, and grocery
bags from customers.
Average cardboard rebate:
Average shrink wrap rebate:
Average grocery bag rebate:
In 2010 our company saved by recycling cardboard and plastic.
The chute next to the compactor is for recycling non-deposit bottles and cans
(glass, metal, plastic) used in the departments. Your store pays a flat fee for
this service.
4
The Hierarchy of Food Recycling
Sell
All product available for sale
Re-use
Items that are not for sale, but
can be used in another
department
Donate
To Food banks and
other organizations
Donate To
farmers for
animals or
compost
Landfill
5
What Can Be Recycled – Simplification Approved Containers
Color
Coding:
Gray = Garbage
Black Truck = Cardboard
Blue round = Plastic containers, metal, and glass for the recycling chute
Blue Slim Jims = paper
= Plastic wrap/ shrink wrap
Red = Meat/fish/deli scrap
Green = Compost
Labels
For
Simplification :
Label on wall and on container
6
What Can Be Recycled? - Baler
Items for the
Baler:
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ALL non-wax/light wax Cardboard, Newsprint, Office Paper
Books/Magazines/Catalogs
Copy Paper Wrap
File Folders
Glossy Paper
Glued Pads
Letters/Junk Mail
Manila Folders
Lottery Tickets
Post-It Notes
Receipts
Shredded Paper
Time Cards
Pizza Boxes
Tubes/Cores
Wax Alternative Boxes (plastic lined)
NOTE:
Once the baler is full a bale will need to be made and placed onto the salvage truck. Place
labels on flat surface of bale. Your store will only receive credit for bales that are properly
labeled!!
What cannot go
into Baler:
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Dark/heavy wax cardboard
Foil coated boxes or paper
Paper towels/napkins/tissue
7
What Can Be Recycled? - Plastic Bags and Stretch/Shrink
Wrap:
Grocery Bags:
Stretch/Shrink
Wrap:
HBC, Card
Shop, and
Cosmetics:
http://www.plasticbagrecycling.org/plasticbag/s01_consumers.html
 Clean #2 and #4 plastic bags
(even from other retailers), bread
bags, produce bags, and
newspapers bags.
 Labels/Stickers/Receipts are ok.
 Bags that “crinkle” are not ok.
 Keep separate from stretch wrap.
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Only clear and clean wrap allowed.
Paper labels are okay on wrap.
Keep separate from grocery bags
Do NOT recycle plastic bags and wrapping that your stock is packaged in. Not
all of these types of plastic wrap are acceptable and there are too many different
types. This is the best way to avoid contamination.
NOTE:
Place loose bags on salvage truck headed for Rochester. Plastic will be baled at the
reclamation center. Bags should be tied securely and not too heavy. Discard any bags with
visible contamination, garbage etc…
8
What Can Be Recycled? - Mixed Recyclables Chute:
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Plastic bottles (check with Suzanne or Jason to see what types of
plastic is accepted in your area)
All clear, brown,
and green glass
food/beverage
containers
Milk
cartons ,
Recycling Chute
juice
cartons and
drink boxes
Metal cans and
aluminum foil,
pans and trays
Containers must
be emptied and
rinsed.
9
Food Waste Diversion: Donation Guidelines
Food Banks,
Soup Kitchens,
Local
Charities:
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Pet Food
Donations:
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Livestock
Farmer
Donations:
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Unsalable/unusable edible: Produce, Bakery, Grocery, Dairy.
Food cannot be more than 24 hours past the sell-by date.
Donations must be picked up during receiving hours.
Food cannot be left in the danger zone for more than two hours.
Perishable food needs to be left in refrigeration until pickup.
Damages to items cannot affect the integrity of the product.
Frozen Food cannot be defrosted.
Buffet Food (Salad Bar, Fruit Bar, and Mediterranean Bar) are not
acceptable.
Rotting or frozen produce and cracked or broken eggs are not allowed.
Keep accurate records. Original Food Donation Logs must be sent to
Legal Department monthly.
If the regular charitable organization you work with is not accepting
all types of food, then reach out to other recognized organizations in
the area. Call your local county or town offices.
No pet food should be donated at the store level.
Kitty litter may be donated at the store level, but it is important to
record the shrink.
Any damaged pet food needs to be sent to the Reclamation Center
(both canned and dry food). Broken bags should be placed in banana
boxes and placed on the salvage truck. A damage label needs to be
filled out and applied to the box.
Unsalable/Unusable edible: Produce, Bakery, Dairy, Prepared.
Farmer will work with store to determine what they will or won’t
accept.
Potential items for donation:
Bakery ( dough, desserts, and commercial bakery items).
Dairy (milk, ice cream, yogurt etc…).
Prepared Foods ( food trimmings/waste, salads).
Food must be out of packaging – recycle packaging if possible.
Donations must be picked up during receiving hours.
Must have farmer agreement signed (see receiver)
No plastics, glass, metal, plastic gloves, grease/oil, rope or straps.
Continued on next page
10
Food Waste Diversion: Donation Guidelines, Continued
Compost
Farmer
Donations:
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Unsalable/inedible:
Farmer will work with store to determine what they will or won’t
accept.
Potential items for donation:
Fruits and vegetables
Potting soil, plants
Bakery and ingredients.
Dairy (milk, juice, ice cream, yogurt etc…).
Prepared Foods ( food trimmings/waste, salads).
Coffee grounds, filters, and tea bags.
Light weight non-waxed paper (egg cartons, napkins etc…).
Food must be removed from packaging.
Donations must be picked up during receiving hours.
Must have farmer agreement signed (see receiver)
No plastics, glass, metal, plastic gloves, grease/oil, rope or straps.
11
Compactor DO NOT THROW List:
Item
Any large, bulky item
How to dispose of:
Donate or dispose of in open-top dumpster
Blade Bank Sharps
Tape them up into block form and throw into
compactor
Propane cylinders/tanks
Call Susie Roncone Ext. 3583
Any Chemicals or Mercury
Call Susie Roncone Ext. 3583
Pesticides, fertilizers,
insecticides
Call Susie Roncone Ext. 3583
Stains, paint thinners,
solvents
Call Susie Roncone Ext. 3583
Computers or any electronic Send to 100 Market St. to be recycled
waste
Construction debris of any
type
Order an open-top dumpster
Cooking oil/grease
Use renderer’s container
Printer & Toner Cartridges
Operating Supplies for Imagine It
Florescent lamps/CFL’S
See your Receiver
Freon & Refrigerators
Write up work order
Ice & non-chemical liquids
Dump down sink
Large pieces of Metal
Call metal recycling company
Microwaves, TV’s, Small
Appliances
Send to 100 Market St. for Sunnking to
recycle
Rechargeable Batteries
Call 2 Recycle at Service Desk (NY stores
only)
Skids – Plastic or wooden
Send to Return Center on salvage load
12
13
Wegmans Equipment Storage Facility Guidelines (Brockport ESF)
Keep in mind
when deciding
whether to send
to ESF:
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Space is limited
If it looks like “junk” it probably is.
Shipping “junk” only incurs freight costs.
Ask the question “Can we use it again?” before you ship to ESF. If
the answer is no, please dispose of/recycle at store level, when
possible.
These items
should NOT be
sent to ESF:
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Bales of hay left over from your fall
displays
Wooden crates/flats/pallets used to ship potted plants, flowers,
etc.
Scrap wood of any
sort
Foam core, plastic signs, plastic
displays
Nabisco, Pepperidge Farm and similar vendor (plastic & metal)
racks
Plastic pipe, plastic dollies, plastic crates, plastic boxes (unless
imprinted with Wegmans or ESF)
Any type of vendor specific display racks (Ask vendor to take them
back)
Empty cardboard bins, crates, etc. (Watermelon bins may be flattened
and sent to the Return Center to be recycled)
Equipment requiring plumbing, electricity, refrigeration, or gas (send
to Store Maintenance)
Items that are incomplete, broken, or obsolete
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14
Other Questions:
Name
Work Location
Suzanne Dunn
Procurement/Waste &
Recycling
Jason Wadsworth
Consumer
Affairs/Sustainability
Susie Roncone
Environment & Compliance
Josh Johnstone
Brockport ESF
Phone Number/Extension
15