Save Mart Switching to Renewable Diesel Fuel

By the end of April, the Save Mart Cos. will run all transportation operations using 100 percent renewable drop-in diesel produced by Neste MY Renewable Diesel. The first grocer to fully convert to Neste MY Renewable Diesel, Save Mart will offset the emissions of more than 5,500 cars on the road annually by making the switch.

“The company understands its business activities impact the environment, and by investing in Neste MY Renewable Diesel, TSMC is reducing up to 80 percent of its emissions, improving local air quality and reducing our carbon footprint,” noted Bruce Christiansen, the grocer’s group VP of logistics and supply chain optimization.

Exclusively distributed by Stockton, Calif.-based Van De Pol Petroleum, Neste MY Renewable Diesel is produced 100 percent from renewable raw materials, offering a way to lower traffic emissions and increase the proportion of renewable energy used in transport. Based in Finland, Neste Corp. is the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel refined from waste and residues, creating sustainable solutions for transport, business and consumer needs.

In other sustainability moves, Save Mart continues to expand its number of electric vehicle-charging stations and was an early adopter of organic waste recycling at its stores, debuting composting in 1997 and fresh rescue in 2010.

No. 23 on Progressive Grocer’s 2018 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States, Modesto, Calif.-based Save Mart operates 208 traditional and price-impact stores under the banners of Save Mart, Lucky, FoodMaxx, S-Mart Foods, and MaxxValue Foods. In addition to its retail operation, the company operates Smart Refrigerated Transport and is a partner in Super Store Industries (SSI), which owns and operates a distribution center in Lathrop, Calif., and the Sunnyside Farms dairy-processing plant in Turlock, Calif.