Assessing the Waste Management Procedures of Dave’s Marketplace

Student

Matt Wilks

College(s)

College of Science

Faculty Advisor

Graham Peaslee

Class Year

2020

Grocery markets have been pivotal areas of commerce for societies throughout time. Everybody must visit these locations at some point in order to satisfy their basic nutrition needs. These businesses are at a crossroads for important considerations of the matters of food waste, agricultural practices, water usage, energy output, consumer awareness, recycling practices, and transportation services. Because of their unique position, grocery stores will deeply care about potential ways to improve their current efficiency and spending in these areas. Businesses in this industry are experiencing increasing pressure to become more environmentally friendly in the face of climate change and growing public awareness of the environment's impact on their purchases. Finding ways to better satisfy the concerns of consumers could become a competitive advantage for particular stores over others. That is why I investigated the practices of my own neighborhood grocery store, Dave's Marketplace, to determine the best ways to improve their ecological footprint.

In the face of climate change, many supermarkets are working to change their models to reduce their store’s carbon footprint, and Dave’s Marketplace is no exception. Since my first days as an employee, massive strides have been taken to improve their efforts in different areas of sustainability. For instance, they have switched to LED lighting throughout the store and refrigerator units, which have cut their electricity costs in half. These new refrigerators have also been installed with temperature controlling doors to lower the store’s energy demand. Company trucks are now leased to ensure that they have lower fuel emissions. After noticing Dave’s strides toward mitigating their ecological impact, I became curious about their status in sustainability and how it could improve, especially in the areas of bagging and packaging options, food waste management, and recycling.