GIANT EAGLE POSTERS TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY 2004-04-12 (2)

DARA BOYKO

PITTSBURGH -- In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, Giant Eagle here is displaying Energy Star posters in certified stores to help communicate the benefits of the program with its customers and employees.

"We remain committed to educating our customers and employees on this issue and some of the ways that they can go about their daily activities in a more environmentally friendly way," said Jim Lampl, director of the chain's conservation department.

Giant Eagle is one of 8,000 partners affiliated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program, which is focused on reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. This year, the chain was selected as one of 57 Energy Star Partners of the Year for its efforts to conserve energy. Wal-Mart and Food Lion were selected as well.

EPA certifies individual retail stores with Energy Star recognition when they achieve certain thresholds of energy conservation. Of the 100 Giant Eagle corporate stores that have been benchmarked for energy usage, 17 have achieved Energy Star certification and will display the posters on Earth Day. The chain hopes to gain certification for 80% of its 131 corporate stores.

Urging energy conservation, the Earth Day poster says, "By saving energy at work, we help protect the environment for everyone." It points out that last year, Giant Eagle "prevented the release of carbon dioxide equivalent to the emissions of 1,722 cars on the road by purchasing wind energy and operating energy-efficient stores."

Giant Eagle encourages shoppers to "carpool with others when possible, bring your own reusable cloth bags for groceries, purchase reusable products and products with less packaging, know what is recyclable in your area or neighborhood, and donate household goods instead of throwing [them] away," Lampl said.