Albertsons Awarded by EPA for 2nd Consecutive Year

Albertsons Cos. has won the prestigious Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the second year in a row.

The award for the Boise, Idaho-based retailer, which recognizes commitment to increasing awareness of EPA's Safer Choice Program for sustainable products, was in the Retailer category, given for the grocer's promotions of the Safer Choice Program in stores, advertising and online messaging.

"We're committed to our partnership with the EPA on this important initiative to ensure the safety and sustainability of the products that people use in their homes each day," said Jonathan Mayes, Albertsons SVP of external affairs and chief diversity officer. "It is a true honor to receive the Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award and an honor to help consumers make safer choices every day."

EPA developed the Safer Choice program, formerly known as the Design for the Environment (DfE) Safer Product Labeling Program, in 1997. It draws upon chemical and environmental expertise from across EPA, and uses the technical tools and expertise of EPA's New Chemicals Program to evaluate the environmental and human health impacts of every chemical ingredient in a product, allowing only the safest ingredients in labeled products.

As a voluntary partnership program, Safer Choice brings all interested parties together to advance sustainability in chemical products. More than 2,000 products currently qualify to carry the Safer Choice label.

EPA developed the Partner of the Year Awards to recognize Safer Choice stakeholders who have furthered the safer chemistry and safer product goals of the program. Award winners represent a wide variety of leadership organizations, such as Fortune 500 companies and small- and medium-sized businesses. Albertsons Cos. actively promotes the Safer Choice program and Safer Choice-labeled products in its 2,300-plus stores across the country. Several of the items in the company's Bright Green line of earth-friendlier household products qualify for the Safer Choice label.

The 2017 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Awards will be presented during a May 15 public ceremony at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Md.

Albertsons Cos. operates stores across 35 states and Washington, D.C., under 19 well-known banners, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs.