Grocery chain wins recycling award - Municipal Recycling - Hannaford Bros. Co - Brief Article

Recycling Today, Oct, 2002

Grocery store chain Hannaford Bros. Co. has been named "Recycler of the Year" by the Recycling Committee at Regional Waste Systems (RWS), Portland, Maine, a non-profit solid waste corporation owned by 27 Maine communities. RWS operates the state's largest municipal recycling program

The Scarsborough-based retailer operates 46 supermarkets and two large distribution centers in Maine. Hannaford achieved a 65 percent recycling rate at its Maine facilities in 2001.

Hannaford encourages customers to reuse bags by providing a five-cent refund for reuse of fabric bags and a two-cent refund for each reuse of plastic or paper bags.

The company continues to look at ways to expand its successful corporate organics diversion program. Any Maine store that participates in the company's composting program will see its recycling rate jump to more than 90 percent annually, Hannaford officials say.

"Hannaford is committed to reducing its waste through creative recycling initiatives," Ted Brown, Hannaford's environmental affairs manager, says.