Efforts Continue Nearly 70 Years of Environmental Stewardship
MELROSE PARK, Ill., April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Jewel-Osco, a Midwest food
and drug retailer, will celebrate Earth Day on April 22 by having hundreds of
its associates conduct environmental clean-up projects across Chicago land and
raising awareness amongst its customers by offering a FREE reusable grocery
bag to the first 200 shoppers that bring in 10 plastic bags to recycle at each
of its stores.
"Since 1940, we have worked to protect our environment and help our
customers to understand, and join, our recycling efforts," said Jewel-Osco
President Keith Nielsen. "Today's coordinated efforts are part of an ongoing
commitment to help raise awareness about recycling and the need to protect our
planet."
The company is also making monetary contributions to local environmental
organizations in the selected project areas, as well as donating Trex benches
made of recycled plastics to commemorate the date. The benches will help to
serve as a reminder that recycled materials can be put to use in many creative
ways.
"The environment needs everyone's help and what Jewel-Osco is doing today
is an example of the kind of stewardship that makes a difference," said
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Acting Director Sam Flood.
Teams of Jewel-Osco volunteers in each of the company's three regional
areas of operation, plus its headquarter offices, will engage in roadway
cleanup, flower plantings, clearing weeds, and other spring clean-up efforts
to support Earth Day at the following locations:
1) Moraine Hills State Park -- McHenry Dam -- city of McHenry
McHenry Dam entrance located west of River Road south of McHenry/IL
Route 120 and north of Island Lake-IL Route 176
2) Kosciuszko Park -- 2732 N. Avers, city of Chicago
Chicago Park District
3) Santa Fe Prairie -- State Nature Preserve Commission -- village of
Hodgkins
Located at 71st Street and River Road in Hodgkins
4) Spring Brook Nature Center, 550 W. Irving Park Road, village of Itasca
"Jewel-Osco is stepping up to do its part in creating a sustainable
earth," said Illinois State Senator Pamela Althoff. "It is great to see
business take the lead on environmental issues and be a great example for all
of us."
This effort continues Jewel-Osco's long-standing heritage of environmental
stewardship for which it has earned the Illinois Recycling Association's
Outstanding Business Reduction and Recycling Programs Award, the Illinois
Governor's Corporate Recycling Award, the Illinois Energy Award for Energy
Efficiency Innovation, and the DuPage County Clean and Beautiful Award.
Jewel-Osco's recycling efforts trace to the 1940s, when a paper reduction
contest was held in all stores. Efforts to reduce wrap usage, package more
carefully, and lessen paper bag usage raised consumer awareness and reduced
store consumption. In 1971, the company established a recycling center at its
Melrose Park headquarters to recover and reuse corrugated cardboard. All
stores now have baling equipment and Jewel-Osco trucks regularly haul those
bales back to the recycling center where they are forwarded to
re-manufacturers for use.
From 1990 through 2007, Jewel-Osco stores have recycled:
1 million tons of cardboard
That would fill 46,500 trailers aligned end to end that would stretch from
Chicago to Memphis, Tennessee
14,200 tons plastics
That's about the weight of 2,500 elephants
1.2 million fluorescent bulbs
Enough light bulbs to stretch across 1,000 football fields.
19,200 tires
When stacked, would reach more than three miles high
140,000 gallons of oil
That's 20 transport tankers filled with oil
Jewel-Osco was honored for being the first major retailer in the Chicago
land area to begin grocery bag recycling and the first food retailer in this
market to use egg cartons made from 100 percent recycled fibers.
About Jewel-Osco
Jewel-Osco, a SUPERVALU company, operates 183 stores in Illinois, Iowa and
Indiana. With a market-leading position in Chicago, Jewel-Osco stores offer
consumers the convenience of combined grocery and pharmacy retail, in addition
to services such as fuel centers at select locations. Originally established
in 1899, the company and its associates remain committed to the communities
they serve, contributing more than $4 million each year to a variety of local
charitable causes. For more information about Jewel-Osco, please visit
http://www.jewelosco.com or http://www.oscopharmacy.com.
About SUPERVALU, INC.
SUPERVALU, INC. is one of the largest companies in the United States
grocery channel with estimated annual sales of approximately $44 billion.
SUPERVALU holds leading market share positions across the U.S. with its
approximately 2,450 retail grocery locations. Through SUPERVALU's nationwide
supply chain network, the company provides distribution and related logistics
support services to more than 5,000 grocery retail endpoints across the
country. SUPERVALU currently has approximately 190,000 employees. For more
information about SUPERVALU, visit http://www.supervalu.com.
SOURCE Jewel-Osco
Miguel Alba, Jewel-Osco Midwest Division Director of Public Affairs,
+1-708-531-6895
