Sodexo, a global leader in sustainable food, integrated facilities management and workplace experience, is pleased to announce the company’s contributions in helping long-time partner Cox Enterprises earn the distinction of a Zero Waste Business by Zero Waste USA*. Cox Enterprises' steadfast 24-year partnership with Sodexo has played a pivotal role in this achievement, contributing to an impressive 92% waste diversion rate at Cox Enterprises’ corporate headquarters where Sodexo manages food services.
In partnership with Cox Enterprises, Sodexo implemented a comprehensive four-part strategy to achieve Zero Waste, focusing on effective personnel training, efficient waste management, food recovery processes and partnerships, and packaging optimizations. This outcome was a key part of Cox’s enterprise strategy. Since 2013, Cox has diverted over 750 million pounds of waste, equivalent to 10 million reams of paper, 60 million apples, and metal from more than 4,000 vehicles.
In 2018, Sodexo introduced its proprietary waste management tool, Wastewatch by Leanpath, helping Cox Enterprises reduce food waste by 56% to date based on their baseline data and ultimately preventing 150,000 pounds of food from being wasted. Additionally, through a partnership with Goodr, Cox Enterprises has donated over 1,500 meals, saving nearly 1 ton of food from ending up in landfills. As a result of these combined efforts, nearly 500 metric tons of carbon emissions have been avoided.
“We are extremely proud of reaching our Zero Waste goal, which is a testament to our commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility,” said Meredith Lindvall, assistant vice president of waste, water & nature-biodiversity at Cox Enterprises. "Together with the support and expertise of our valued partner Sodexo, we have shown that it is possible to stay focused on a long-term sustainability goal that creates positive impact for our business, our communities and our planet."
“Sodexo and Cox Enterprises share a common vision of leveraging innovative solutions to meet sustainability goals and set a precedent for other organizations aiming to improve their corporate social responsibility achievements. Through partnership with our clients and communities and a commitment to adjusting our operations in ways that drive meaningful change, it is possible to reach these ambitious goals and certifications. We are proud to be a part of this journey,” says Renee McKeon, Vice President of Sustainability & CSR, Corporate Services at Sodexo US.
By working closely with recyclers and sustainability vendors to find innovative ways to eliminate waste and contribute to the circular economy, Cox provided a net benefit of $340 million to their business.
About Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises is dedicated to empowering people to build a better future for the next generation. Cox is a leader in the broadband, automotive, and media industries, as well as a leading investment platform with strategic positions in emerging technologies driving the future of agriculture, renewable energy, healthtech, and public sector software. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Cox is a global company with $23 billion in annual revenues and a proud 125-year history. To learn more about Cox and its commitment to its people, planet and communities, visit coxenterprises.com.
*The current Zero Waste by 2024 achievement excludes any wholly owned acquisitions made since 2021 and international locations.
About Sodexo North America
Sodexo North America is a division of Sodexo Group, a global Fortune 500 company operating in 45 countries and a leading provider of sustainable food and integrated facilities management in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam, at every moment in life: learn, work, heal and play. Across the U.S., the company employs over 100,000 people and indirectly supports tens of thousands of additional jobs by annually purchasing goods and services from a wide range of small to large businesses. Sodexo North America is committed to meeting the challenges of everyday life with a dual goal: to improve the quality of life of our employees and those we serve, and to contribute to the economic, social and environmental progress in the communities where we operate. Our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone to build a better life for all.
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