I was 18 when I first started working for Kroger. Working side by side, my dad and I were maintenance contractors at the Ralphs Distribution Center in Compton, Calif. Within four years I was a full-time associate and ultimately introduced to the company’s first anaerobic digester. I had no clue this would be the start of seven years (so far) with Kroger.

The anaerobic digester is more than a job – it’s my passion. It’s a giant iron stomach that eats 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and devours up to 100 – 150 tons of ‘food’ per day. This ‘food’ is unsold organics like food and floral items from our stores that can’t be sold or donated and gets transformed into clean, renewable energy through the digester, which can power part of our facility. I keep an eye on what we feed it to make sure it’s running smoothly and helping to prevent food waste from hitting landfills.

As one of the first of its kind in the country, the anaerobic digester always gives me new things to learn. Ultimately, I want what we feed the digester to continue to make the world more sustainable. Our company has ambitious zero waste goals, and I’m proud to play a role in helping us get there.

My name is Tyler Tuttle and I am the Assistant Chief Engineer for the anaerobic digester.

You can read more about the Compton Digester on Kroger Stories and follow our company’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste journey, including our sustainability efforts, on KrogerStories.com.

 

Learn more about careers at Kroger and how you can join our team at jobs.kroger.com.