Stop & Shop Helps Customers Think Green on Earth Day

As part of its year around commitment to sustainability, Stop & Shop will celebrate Earth Day in its shopping aisles.

Encouraging its customers to "think green," Stop & Shop is partnering with General Mills to encourage the use of environmentally friendly reusable bags. Customers purchasing $15 worth of General Mills products beginning April 17th will receive a coupon redeemable for five free reusable bags, allowing consumers to create their own "green checkout starter kit," as multiple bags are typically required for each shopping trip to the supermarket. With the ultimate goal of changing customers' reliance on plastic and paper bags Stop & Shop has also put into place a multifaceted campaign to encourage customers to switch to reusable bags through economic incentives.

"Through grass roots efforts such as this we are able to reward reusability and to demonstrate the positive impact that reusing bags can have on the environment," said Faith Weiner, Stop & Shop's Director of Public Affairs. "Helping the environment is a simple act of personal commitment, and by partnering with General Mills and our customers we can make a substantive difference."

Other green programs include recycling plastic bags, bottles and cans; recycling store-generated shrink/pallet wrap and cardboard; channeling food waste into compost; and instituting recycling programs in our own break rooms and support offices. Stop & Shop is partners with the EPA through their SmartWay program, demonstrating the company's commitment to reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in their transportation operations. The firm also offers Peapod, Stop & Shop's grocery delivery service to homes and businesses, to reduce individual car trips to its stores.

Lengthening its track record of shortening its footprint

This year's effort reflects a track record of continued commitment. Stop & Shop already has been recognized as an Energy Star Leader, according to the New England regional office of the U.S/ Environmental Protection Agency, and is one of the supermarket chain in the country earning this recognition. The significance of this designation becomes apparent when one learns that Energy Star Leaders organizations manage energy strategically across an entire portfolio of buildings using EPA's standardized measurement tool for tracking building energy use. These select organizations are recognized by the agency for improving the energy performance of their holdings by ten percent or more.

The EPA also awarded Stop & Shop an Energy Star label for its Southbury, Conn. store, recognizing the building's superior energy performance. Energy efficiency measures at this location include: skylights and natural lighting, high-efficiency T5 lighting, refrigeration systems with variable -speed compressors and low-energy glass doors, occupancy sensors, and reflective, insulation roofing.

In 2009 and as part of its commitment to sustainability, Stop & Shop received LEED verification for 51 of its existing stores - exceeding 3.4 million square feet of space. This certification was part of pilot program developed by the United States Green building Council (USGBC). "At a time when economic challenges may force companies to move away from these commitments, Stop & Shop continues to move forward toward its goals of balancing the interests of people, the planet and profit to create a business that is profitable and sustainable. We're proud of our accomplishments to date and will continue to move forward," Weiner concluded.

About Stop & Shop

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, based in Quincy, Massachusetts, employs more than 59,000 associates and operates stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, New York and New Jersey.

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Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/04/prweb2333324.htm.

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