The Giant Eagle supermarket chain is celebrating its continued dedication to operating in a sustainable fashion. The company recently added the Robinson Market District to its steadily growing list of LEED-certified retail locations. The Robinson Market District was officially awarded gold LEED certification in November 2010, becoming the first Pennsylvania supermarket to receive gold status.

As a U.S. Green Building Council LEED certified building, the Robinson Market District was designed and built to save energy, improve water efficiency, reduce CO2 emissions, and provide responsible stewardship of resources. The 150,000 square-foot location features daylighting with over 130 skylights and windows, an ENERGY STAR roof to minimize heat absorption, a desiccant dehumidification system, water efficient lavatory fixtures, drought resistant landscaping, non-ozone depleting refrigerant in all refrigeration and air conditioning systems, low volatile organic compound (VOC) emitting materials and coatings, and a robust recycling program.

In 2010, Giant Eagle recycled more than 67,000 tons of cardboard, 1,372 tons of plastic film, 820 tons of mixed paper and more than 2,239 tons of cooking oil, fat and bones. The company is also involved in various U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiatives, including the Green Power Partnership, the GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership, the SmartWay Transport Partnership and the ENERGY STAR Partnership.

When seasonally available, Giant Eagle offers a combination of locally grown produce, sourced through in-state farmers, with names of the farms and their locations identified, as well as a variety of organic options.

On the packaging front, Giant Eagle features sustainability-driven innovations like the 100% recyclable Eco-Light Bottle, with a contoured shape to offer a perfect combination of function, design and environmental consideration. Since the bottle is lighter, it also requires less energy to produce, so the end result is a reduced carbon footprint.

 Giant Eagle is constantly researching and evaluating new developments that will save natural resources while making stores a more pleasant place to shop. Efforts include energy efficient store lighting, renewable energy, energy management controls and power monitoring and white roofing. To learn more about the company’s environmental efforts, visit www.gianteagle.com/environment.