PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway continues to link its earth-friendly private labels to green living, this time by participating in an environmental contest that will award students a barbecue featuring its Open Nature, O Organics and Bright Green brands.
The retailer is a sponsor of a contest from online learning platform Glogster EDU and the Go Green Initiative, Pleasanton, an organization that trains volunteers in schools, homes, businesses and organizations to conserve natural resources.
Along with the barbecue, Safeway will supply an organic garden to a winning school and $100 cash prizes to five winning students.
Students can enter through today at edu.glogster.com/contest.
They must create a Glog (an interactive online poster) showing how to make the water, food or energy systems in their communities greener and more sustainable.
The contest is open to students of any age, although those under 13 must have permission from their parent or teacher. As of last week, there were nearly 900 entries.
Jill Buck (pictured), founder of the Go Green Initiative, said the promotion ties in well with Safeway’s sustainability efforts and its O Organics, Open Nature and Bright Green brands.
“The brands were specifically designed to support a healthy, green lifestyle,” Buck told SN.
Safeway officials were unavailable for comment.
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The barbecue will feature Open Nature 100% natural hot dogs and buns; O Organics mini peeled carrots, apple juice, grape juice, tortilla chips, mustard and ketchup; and Bright Green paper plates, which are biodegradable and made from 62% recycled content.
The promotion is one of many Safeway has sponsored to drive home the brand message of its earth-friendly private labels, particularly Open Nature.
Open Nature features more than 100 items made without the use of antibiotics or added hormones, and processed without the use of artificial preservatives. Along with hot dogs, selections include packaged cookies, yogurt, ice cream, frozen pizza, salad dressing, peanut butter and fresh bread.
Safeway promoted Open Nature by earning a Guinness World Record for assembling the largest picnic table (305 feet) on National Picnic Day last June at Marina Green in San Francisco. It invited 400 customers, employees and members of the media for lunch on the table featuring Open Nature products.
The Open Nature brand also sponsored a contest where Safeway’s Facebook followers voted on which U.S. city is the most natural. The winner, Portland, Ore., got a $20,000 donation to its parks department and 25 picnic tables from the World’s Longest Picnic Table promotion.
Nancy Cota, vice president of innovation/consumer brands who spearheaded the development of Open Nature, also traveled the country over the summer in a custom recreational vehicle to sample Open Nature granola, peanut butter and other products.
Stops included San Francisco, Idaho and Yellowstone National Park. Cota documented her venture in the Safeway blog.