Giant Eagle Celebrates Earth Day With Donation To Regional Parks

PITTSBURGH, April 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Multi-format food, fuel and pharmacy retailer Giant Eagle, Inc., the first grocer to operate a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED^®)-certified supermarket in the world, is celebrating Earth Day on Monday with a special Facebook donation drive that will result in up to $10,000 being provided to Allegheny County Parks in the Pittsburgh region and the Cleveland and Columbus Metro Parks.

"Giant Eagle will donate $1 each time our Facebook Earth Day post is 'Shared' on Monday," said Giant Eagle spokesperson Dan Donovan. "With the simple push of a button our customers can promote sustainability and encourage others to enjoy our beautiful regional parks." 

In 2012 alone, the company recycled more than 98 million pounds of cardboard, paper and plastic. Additionally, the company routed millions of pounds of meat trimmings and thousands of gallons of used cooking oil to third party organizations for use in animal feed. Other efforts the company undertakes every day include:

• LEED-certified stores: Since opening the world's first LEED-certified supermarket in Brunswick, Ohio in 2004, Giant Eagle has made incorporating environmentally friendly features such as daylighting, green power purchases and the use of non-ozone-depleting refrigerants into each of its stores a priority. More recently, the company began adding solar roofing technology at select new stores including its Broadview Heights, Ohio Giant Eagle and two new GetGo fuel and convenience store locations in Pittsburgh. The company has built on its green store features at certain locations, and currently has six LEED-certified supermarkets and two LEED-certified GetGo fuel and convenience store locations.
• Expansion of Alternative Fueling efforts: The company currently offers biodiesel and E-85 fuels in various GetGo locations, and hosts electric vehicle charging stations at three Pittsburgh area supermarkets. In July of 2011, Giant Eagle also opened a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station.
• Sustainable Foods: Giant Eagle is committed to providing a wide variety of the freshest and highest quality seafood while being good stewards of the marine environment and fisheries around the world. Additionally, when seasonally available, Giant Eagle offers a combination of locally grown produce, sourced through in-state farmers, with names of the farms and their locations identified, as well as a variety of natural and organic options. 
• Reusable Bags: Between 84 and 100 billion plastic bags are used in the U.S. annually, with less than five percent of them being recycled. Giant Eagle offers customers both traditional reusable bags for just $0.99 as well as reusable hot/cold bags for $2.99.
• EPA Partnership: Giant Eagle's sustainable efforts also include a strong partnership with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its ENERGY STAR, GreenChill, SmartWay and Green Power programs. In 2012 the EPA recognized six Giant Eagle supermarkets for excellence in energy efficiency, and recently had seven Giant Eagle stores participate in its ENERGY STAR 2012 National Building Competition. Additionally, in 2010 Giant Eagle was awarded with an EPA Montreal Protocol Award for its extensive track record and leadership in installing environmentally sustainable business practices throughout its operations.

At Giant Eagle Team Members are continually researching and evaluating new developments that will save natural resources while making our stores a more pleasant place to shop. To learn more about the company's environmental efforts, visit www.gianteagle.com/environment.

About Giant Eagle
Giant Eagle Inc., ranked 29 on Forbes magazine's largest private corporations list, is one of the nation's largest food retailers and distributors with approximately $9.9 billion in annual sales. Celebrating the 25^th anniversary of its Apples for the Students program, Giant Eagle is also a recent recipient of Grocery Headquarters' Retailer of the Year Award and the EPA's ENERGY STAR Retail Partner of the Year Award. Founded in 1931, Giant Eagle, Inc. has grown to be the number one supermarket retailer in the region with 229 supermarkets and 188 fuel and convenience stores throughout western Pennsylvania, north central Ohio, northern West Virginia and Maryland.

SOURCE Giant Eagle, Inc.