Giant Eagle Continues Focus on Sustainability
In the wake of Earth Day, Giant Eagle Inc. is celebrating its continued dedication to operating in a sustainable fashion.
From April 14 to 20, Giant Eagle customers had the opportunity to receive a free reusable bag (normally sold for 99 cents) when purchasing any two participating products under numerous popular natural and organic brands – including Giant Eagle’s own Nature’s Basket – with a Giant Eagle Advantage Card.
Meanwhile, the company recently added the Robinson Market District in western Pittsburgh to its steadily growing list of LEED-certified retail locations. The Robinson Market District was officially awarded gold LEED certification in November 2010, becoming the first Pennsylvania supermarket to receive gold status.
The Robinson Market District joins Giant Eagle’s six previously certified stores, including the Brunswick, Ohio, Giant Eagle (the world’s first LEED-certified supermarket); Shadyside (Pittsburgh) Market District; New Albany, Ohio, Giant Eagle; the Township of Pine (Pittsburgh) Giant Eagle and GetGo; and the Baum Boulevard (Pittsburgh) GetGo.
As a U.S. Green Building Council LEED certified building, the Robinson Market District was designed and built to save energy, improve water efficiency, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and provide responsible stewardship of resources. The 150,000-square-foot location features more than 130 skylights and windows, an Energy Star roof to minimize heat absorption, a desiccant dehumidification system, water efficient lavatory fixtures, drought resistant landscaping, non-ozone depleting refrigerant in all refrigeration and air conditioning systems, low volatile organic compound emitting materials and coatings, a robust recycling program and Green Seal compliant janitorial products.
The construction of the store included wood from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests, materials with high recycled content and products that were extracted processed and manufactured regionally.
Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership awarded the Robinson Market District a Gold Level Certification in January 2010 for its use of green refrigeration technology. Giant Eagle is a member of Progressive Grocer’s Green Grocer Hall of Fame and received the 2010 U.S. EPA Montreal Protocol Award, awarded to organizations making outstanding contributions in protecting the ozone layer.
In 2010, Giant Eagle recycled more than 67,000 tons of cardboard, 1,372 tons of plastic film, 820 tons of mixed paper and over 2,239 tons of cooking oil, fat and bones. To learn more about the company’s environmental efforts, visit www.gianteagle.com/environment.
Giant Eagle Inc. operates 170 corporate and 58 independently owned supermarkets, in addition to 162 fuel and convenience stores throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, north central West Virginia and Maryland.