Contact:
Alicia Rockwell, Public Affairs Director
209-548-6511 or 800-692-5710
arockwell@savemart.com
Save Mart Supermarkets Earns Waste Reduction Award For 12th Consecutive Year
California Integrated Waste Management Board Recognizes Innovative, Environmentally-friendly Programs and Policies
Modesto, Calif., February 16, 2012– The California Integrated Waste Management Board(CIWMB) has once again named Save Mart Supermarkets as one of the winners of the 2011 Waste Reduction Award in recognition for green business practices. Every year California businesses and nonprofits are encouraged to showcase their voluntary waste reduction, recycling, and resource conservation efforts by applying for recognition in the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP). The WRAP program was established in 1993 and honors California businesses and nonprofit organizations for demonstrating innovation and leadership in waste prevention, recycling and composting, procurement, and education within their business practices.
Now in its 18th year, WRAP has honored Save Mart Supermarkets and its stores – Save Mart, S-Mart Foods, Lucky, and FoodMaxx – every year since 2000. According to the CIWMB, 280 California businesses and nonprofit organizations were recognized for their innovative, environmentally-friendly programs and policies. The 2011 honorees collectively diverted more than 2.3 million tons of materials from local landfills through aggressive resource management, recycling, and waste reduction, and reported more than $200 million in cost savings. “We are pleased that our continuing efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle have once again been recognized by the State of California,” said Steve Gaines, Senior Director for Retail Efficiencies at Save Mart Supermarkets. “We actually close the loop by composting our organic waste, which we package and sell at our stores and donate for use in state, local, and neighborhood
landscape improvement projects.”
Save Mart Supermarkets operates 230 stores throughout Northern California and Northern Nevada under the Save Mart, S-Mart Foods, Lucky, Maxx Value Foods, and FoodMaxx banners. The privately-held company was founded January 17, 1952 and has always been headquartered in Modesto, California. More information about the company and its banners is available at www.savemart.com, www.luckysupermarkets.com, and www.foodmaxx.com. Its consumer relations group can be called toll-free at 800-692-5710.