Safeway Shares the "Heart of Safeway" in its Annual Sustainability Report

PLEASANTON, Calif., July 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Safeway today released its sixth annual sustainability report, informed by the Global Reporting Initiative G3 Guidelines. The online report, titled "Heart of Safeway," highlights progress Safeway made in the areas of environmental sustainability, community impact and responsible business practices. The report contains updates such as Safeway's significant progress toward its industry-leading goal to responsibly source all of its fresh and frozen seafood by the end of 2015. A snapshot report of the Company's 2013 performance highlights is available today as well.

The report spotlights stories of lives positively impacted by Safeway – from employees and nonprofit partners to local farmers and producers – and suggests ways in which Safeway's customers can adopt more sustainable, healthy habits.

"The Heart of Safeway is made up of people we proudly employ, the variety of products we offer customers, the communities in which we live and work, and the planet that we aim to protect," said Larree Renda, Executive Vice President and Chair of the companywide Sustainability Executive Task Force. "Safeway is very proud of the strides we made in 2013 in an effort to continually create better lives, vibrant neighborhoods, and a healthier planet."

Safeway's 2013 performance highlights include:

• People. Employees are the Heart of Safeway. From wellness services to providing new skills and career opportunities through leadership training, employee well-being is a top priority for the company. In 2013, Safeway:
  • Hired 1,833 military veterans and continued to support leadership development training for our employee veterans through Junior Military Officer and Non-Commissioned Military Officer programs
  • Scored 100% in the Human Rights Campaign Buyer's Guide and Corporate Equality Index
  • Helped 65% of employees and health plan participants enrolled in the company's Healthy Measures program to improve their cholesterol level from the previous year
• Products. Because many of our customers want to make choices that are healthier for them and the planet, Safeway has a growing selection of wholesome and natural products, locally grown produce and sustainable seafood. In 2013, Safeway:
  • Achieved No. 2 ranking on Greenpeace's sustainable seafood retail scorecard
  • Continued to make substantial progress in sourcing seafood sustainably, surpassing the 51% milestone toward having all fresh and frozen seafood responsibly caught or farmed by the end of 2015
  • Announced a sustainable sourcing policy for palm oil and a goal to source 1 million pounds of sustainable palm oil in 2014
• Community. Safeway is committed to improving the communities we serve. Through fundraising, food donations, volunteer efforts, and other charitable activities, Safeway stores provide localized support in their neighborhoods. In 2013, Safeway: 
  • Donated nearly 72 million pounds of food to support hunger relief
  • Employees volunteered over 1 million hours with nonprofit organizations
  • Raised and contributed over $41.2 million to charitable causes through The Safeway Foundation
• Planet. Safeway always considers its environmental impact and actively seeks new ways to minimize its footprint. The company also encourages employees and customers to do the same. In 2013, Safeway:
  • Progressed toward its 2015 goal to eliminate 1 billion plastic and paper bags in its stores, announcing that it already eliminated over 300 million bags since 2011
  • Set a goal to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020 versus a 2010 baseline
  • Saved over 75 million gallons of water across its stores

For a comprehensive view of Safeway's 2013 sustainability initiatives and performance, visit the Company's sustainability website. Safeway also shares sustainability-related updates on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest with the #HeartofSafeway hashtag. Follow along and share the news: Learn what makes up the #HeartofSafeway by visiting @Safeway's newly released sustainability report – safeway.com/csr

About Safeway

Safeway Inc., which operates Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, and Carrs stores, is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States with sales of $36.1 billion in 2013. The company operates 1,332 stores in 20 states and the District of Columbia, 13 distribution centers, 19 manufacturing plants, and employs approximately 138,000 employees. The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY. For more information, please visit www.Safeway.com.

Safeway Contact: Teena Massingill 925-467-3810, [email protected]

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SOURCE Safeway Inc.