The Manomet Center announced today that Weis Markets, Inc. has enrolled all of its 165 stores in Manomet’s Grocery Stewardship Certification sustainability program.

 

The program (known as GSC) is the nation’s only grocery sustainability certification and recognizes stores for reducing energy consumption, water use, food waste and other related metrics. Now that the Weis stores are enrolled, GSC program staff will grade individual stores using a point-based workbook. The GSC also works with stores to review and improve their sustainability after the initial assessment.

 

“Weis is clearly committed to reducing their environmental footprint and making stores as sustainable as possible,” said GSC Program Manager Peter Cooke. “The industry needs leaders like this to demonstrate that sustainability is good for the environment and good for the bottom line.”

 

A pilot version of the project was launched in late 2012 with Maine-based Hannaford Supermarkets and the program was opened up to all companies late last year.

 

Weis Markets is headquartered in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, and operates grocery stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and West Virginia. The first 40 Weis Market stores will be assessed by the end of March.

 

– Dave McGlinchey