How Green is Your Grocer? Manomet Center Develops a Tool to Find Out

By Dave McGlinchey, Director of Communications and Marketing, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences

Almost everyone goes to the grocery store but few people stop to think about the ecological footprint of these ever-present businesses.

With more than 36,000 supermarkets in the United States, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences saw an opportunity to make real progress toward sustainability. Program Manager Peter Cooke developed a cutting edge tool to measure a grocery store’s sustainability and a social marketing approach that pulls in key staff in each store to make it better. This month, Manomet launched its grocery project with Maine-based Hannaford Supermarkets.

The program is in its pilot stage and initially includes 15 stores. The program will evaluate each store’s current sustainability initiatives using a Manomet Certification workbook and will work with management to improve their workbook scores over time.

 “The grocery sector can really benefit from a third-party system like we have developed here at Manomet,” Cooke said. “Our model will help grocers reduce their environmental footprint and engage their employees and their customers in sustainability.” 

The sustainability scoring covers a lot of ground, including energy, electricity, employee engagement, water use, recycling, environmental education, food sourcing and solid waste.

“It puts a system in place to evaluate and significantly reduce environmental impacts though a positive process of continuous improvement,” said Andy Whitman, director of Manomet’s Natural Capital Initiative.

Hannaford Supermarkets has more than 180 stores in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. Over the next several months, Cooke plans to expand the sustainability scoring to the rest of the store locations.