Giant Supports Environment through Recycling and Food Waste Reduction Initiatives
Landover, MD, 2015-4-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — In celebration of Earth Day, Giant Food of Landover, Md. is teaming up with the Anacostia Watershed Society and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to help protect and restore local lands and water. On April 25, 2015, Giant will support the Anacostia Watershed Society’s Annual Earth Day Celebration by cleaning up the Quincy Run area adjacent to the Bladensburg Waterfront Park in Bladensburg, Maryland. In addition, Giant will donate food and beverages to support the Earth Day Celebration and pass out free, reusable bags to more than 500 attendees to encourage them to reduce their ecological footprint. Working with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, volunteers from Giant will also help plant and restore wetland grasses at the former Naval Academy dairy farm, the largest organic farm in the state of Maryland, on May 30, 2015.
“Giant is committed to reducing our environmental impact and helping to preserve the natural environment in our surrounding communities,” said Jamie Miller, public and community relations manager, Giant Food of Landover, Md. “Earth Day reminds us that we all play a role in taking care of the environment, and we’re honored to support The Anacostia Watershed Society and Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which work to protect our parks, rivers, lakes, and streams every day.”
As part of its promise to be a responsible retailer, Giant is continuously working to expand its green efforts, from reducing the impact of its own operations to encouraging shoppers to make environmentally-friendly decisions. Giant has set a goal of getting to “zero waste” by 2020, defined as diverting 90 percent of waste going into landfills and incineration through the expansion of its organic recycling program and the creation of new opportunities for recycling cardboard and plastic. Giant stores and distribution centers recycled approximately 39,488 tons of cardboard in 2014. Part of Giant’s efforts to reduce waste in its operations is ensuring that safe and consumable foods, such as bakery items and frozen meat, are donated to food banks. Through Giant’s Meat the Needs program, the grocer freezes meat that is close to expiration and would otherwise go unsold and donates it to regional food bank partners. Last year, a total of 354,902 pounds of meat was provided to community members in need. Food that cannot be donated is reused as livestock feed or for compost.
Newer Giant stores continue to be built with innovative green building technologies that reduce energy consumption, conserve water and reduce the environmental impact of operations. These stores will be certified under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. Four of Giant’s stores utilize solar panels which generate around 8 percent of the store’s electricity needs. Giant also continues to makes its existing stores more energy efficient by improving the efficiency of the refrigerated and frozen food cases and installing LED lighting.
About Giant Food of Landover, Md.
Giant Food LLC, headquartered in Landover, Md., operates 170 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, and employs approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 170 stores are 156 full-service pharmacies. Giant opened the first supermarket in the nation’s capital on February 6, 1936. Giving back to the community is a cornerstone that was instilled by the founders more than 78 years ago. The company’s core areas of giving include hunger, education, health and wellness, and supporting service members and military families. In 2013, Giant’s monetary and in-kind contributions exceeded $13 million, and the nation’s capital grocer helped partners provide 64.6 million meals. For more information on Giant, visit http://www.giantfood.com/
MEDIA CONTACT: Jamie Miller
(301) 341-8776
jmiller@giantfood.com