Responsible Choice Seafood: Healthy for You and Healthy for the Oceans

Seafood is not only delicious, but also one of the healthiest protein sources available, packed full of goodness that promotes heart health and also children’s growth and development. Now at Safeway, you can select seafood that is not only healthy for you and your family, but healthy for the oceans too. 

We have been working on improving the sustainability of our seafood offerings to help ensure the availability of healthy seafood for generations to come. Our ultimate goal is to have all of our fresh and frozen seafood come from responsible sources or be in a credible improvement project by 2015.

Today, much of our seafood is caught or farmed in responsible ways and we are happy to highlight some of our best options via our new ‘Responsible Choice’ labels – look out for them in your local Safeway seafood counter!  In the meantime, here are some crowd-pleasing options to get you started:

• Wild Alaskan Salmon
• Alaskan Halibut
• Alaska Cod
• Dungeness Crab
• U.S. Farmed Trout
• Farmed Shellfish

I love feeding my family seafood…for the great taste AND for all the healthy benefits we get from eating seafood.  Like many others, I am concerned about where our seafood comes from.  I am pleased to report on Safeway’s best practices on supplying healthy seafood:

To ensure that we will be able to continue to supply you--our customer--with the best quality seafood in the years ahead, we have taken concrete steps to ensure a sustainable supply.

• We have partnered with FishWise, a non-profit organization focused on sustainability, to work with our suppliers.

• We draw guidance from a number of agencies such as the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions to promote seafood sustainability

• We no longer sell several “red list” species whose existence is now threatened or for which the fishing methods threaten other species.

• We identify fisheries that have the potential to improve and encourage them to establish credible improvement programs designed to meet our goals.

We were recently named Most Sustainable Seafood Grocer by Greenpeace USA for Second Consecutive Year.  Read More.

We offer you many choices when selecting seafood.  Look for all natural flash-frozen uncooked fillets including sockeye, halibut, cod, barramundi and mahi-mahi.  In addition, be sure to see our options for gluten free breaded shrimp and fish portions.

Did you know that last month we announced that our Safeway brand of canned tuna will be responsibly caught?  Greenpeace acknowledged that the new specifications are “progressive, comprehensive, and visionary”, applauding Safeway for making this public commitment!  Now you can have peace of mind knowing that you’re getting superior quality tuna from a source that is more sustainable and eco-friendly – that’s great news!  

At Safeway, we talk a lot about being responsible stewards of the planet and active partners in the vitality of the communities where we do business. But, what does that mean for you, our Safeway blog readers, and presumably, Safeway shoppers? Safeway is much more than the neighborhood grocery store, we are proud to support topics that touch all of us, like education, health services and people with disabilities. In fact, in 2010 with the help of our customers Safeway donated more than $130 million in food product to hunger relief programs, nearly $28 million to fight breast and prostate cancer and more than $21 million to local schools. I’m very proud to work for a company like Safeway that takes great strides to reduce our overall carbon footprint and be good corporate citizens. We have recently completed our 2010 Corporate Social Responsibility report and I invite you to read it over for yourself at on our new website at www.safeway.com/csr. 

Did you know? April 22, 1970 was the world’s first Earth Day, a national grassroots demonstration originally proposed by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, the author of the Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.

I like to use Earth Day as a reflection of the impact I have on the planet. Think of it as an environmental New Years Resolution. On Earth Day (April 22, 2011), take just a minute to think about your personal footprint. While none of us will ever be perfect, it doesn’t mean that we can’t all be just a little better. What one thing can you do today to help the environment?

Happy Earth Day to you all…enjoy the outdoors, take your shoes off and feel the grass under your feet, be good to yourselves and to the planet. 

As the neighborhood supermarket in hundreds of communities across North America, Safeway takes great pride in our reputation for building strong relationships with our customers. Recently, Safeway participated in the PlayGreen festival held on the University of California, Berkeley campus. Recognized as the largest eco-experiential college festival in the nation, the festival drew nearly 10,000 environmentally friendly and socially conscious young minds in a single day. While the event gave Safeway an opportunity to highlight some of our environmentally friendly brands (Bright Green, O Organics, In-Kind), it also allowed us to personally connect with the future leaders of our country. It is sometimes easy to forget that there are generations of individuals who will inherit the planet that we leave behind. These younger generations look to businesses like Safeway and individuals like you to ensure that we leave them a planet that is healthy enough to sustain their long-term needs. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. 

As you can probably guess, Safeway takes the responsibility of being good a corporate citizen very seriously. While there are Safeway employees who spend day in and day out finding ways to meet the needs of our business and the environment, there are also a group of employees who volunteer their lunch and weekends supporting our communities.

We call ourselves the Green Team, and we are officially recognized by Safeway as an Employee Resource Group. In fact, Safeway has a number of resource groups for Women, African American, Asians, Hispanics and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Alliance just to name a few. These groups provide individuals with a sense of empowerment, community, mentorship and support. I would encourage you to start a family or neighborhood Green Team (or other resource group) of your own.

A community is a state of mind shared by individuals united by common goals and values. You might be surprised at what you can accomplish when you work together. I would be happy to provide you some simple ways of launching your resource group should you need any assistance.

We are a nation of consumers. I am just as guilty as anybody…I love gadgets, electronics and have been known to shop for clothes with the best of them. While I don’t have any children, a recent conversation with a coworker has me thinking about babies. She is a new mom and was telling me how incredible it is to watch her little Kate grow so quickly. However, she was also looking for ideas on what to do with the ever-growing mountain of clothes that Kate can no longer wear—not to mention the baby gear, toys, strollers and crib she no longer has a use for. Aside from holding onto these items waiting for a friend or family member to start or extend their own families, what options do parents have to keep these items from becoming landfill?

Ideas I’ve heard from other moms are to contact your local mom’s club, thrift or consignment store, or check out mom online community boards for ideals on how to hand-down, reuse or recycle gently used baby items. Getting rid of your baby stuff will be someone else’s treasure!

As much as I love technology and the conveniences that it brings to my everyday life, lately I have found myself longing for “relics” of the past, before smart phones and mp3 players consumed our lives (for the record, I own both).

It dawned on me that generations of people will never know the romance of sitting in front of a typewriter and punching out a letter or short story in the same manner as Hemingway, or the beautiful crackle of a vinyl Beatles record.

However, I don’t seem to be alone in my love affair with items that have been deemed obsolete due to technological advances. In fact, I recently met a gentleman in my hometown that makes a living by refurbishing vintage typewriters and record players.

So, before you banish your “out of date” items to landfill in lieu of the latest and greatest, consider giving these items a second shot at life by donating them to the local thrift shop.

In doing so, you will free up much need space in our landfills, enable people in your community to make a living, and who knows, your old typewriter might just inspire the next A Farewell to Arms. 

Sustainable Seafood has quickly become a necessity for any responsible retailer.  At Safeway, we’ve been at the forefront of this movement for several years.  

Working together with Fishwise, a 3rd party organization dedicated to the health and recovery of our ocean ecosystems, Safeway has actively communicated a rigid set of sourcing practices for our suppliers and a comprehensive communication program for our employees and customers. Giving our employees the resources they need to help customers make informed decisions about their Seafood purchases is critical to achieving our long term sustainability goals.  

The pamphlet pictured here can be found in any of our stores, or just click on the attached link to read more about our work on Seafood Sustainability.     

Safeway is proud to offer several sustainable species in our waterfrontBISTRO™ product line, including Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, Pacific Halibut and Alaskan Cod, in addition to the many fresh and frozen products that can also be found in our full service Seafood departments.

Wait…don’t throw out your magazines, newspapers, old maps, or books…use them to creatively craft a cover for your holiday gifts. Try hiding gifts around the house and give kids clues as to where to find them. If you can hide the gift well there’s no need to wrap it! There’s always reusing gift bags as well. I am always amazed at the level of creativity my daughter can put into wrapping gifts and creating cards from old publications. I appreciate the time and effort she puts into her memorable creations. You can gain a few tips and tricks from Google searches as well as extremely creative images to model. Happy Wrapping!!!!

A close friend of mine has four children. I recently spent the afternoon with them and was amazed at the youngest, 10-year old Xavier, and his commitment to saving water. All of the children were outside playing when they decided they were thirsty. Xavier came in and poured water for all of them. When the kids were finished gulping down the water Xavier collected the glasses and went around the house watering the plants with the leftover water. I watched him pour patiently until the extras ran out. When I inquired from his mother about his interest in this she said they recently watched a movie in one of his classes on southern California and the water supply. This movie scared him and he thought about the changes he could make around the house. His behavior was altered that afternoon and he takes his water saving very serious. He even knocks on the door of the bathroom when showers are too long. 

I think this is a great way for smart conservation to become second nature. Good for you Xavier, keep up the awareness and pass it on! 

The term used books is always a bit comical to me. Can a book really qualify as used? It may have been read but the content is new to each person picking it up. As a strong believer in passing books on, I typically pass books on through the following three channels:

1).Often I will attempt to sell books back to a reseller or “used book” store in my area.

2). I donate them to either the local library or school.

3). I will often times pass a great book on to a friend or colleague that may enjoy it.  

We are all guilty of collecting dust on books we’ve enjoyed or never been able to finish. Why hold on to these precious gems? Do a quick internet search for a used bookstore, library, or school that may need your donation. Knowledge is power…pass it on! 

I am a self-professed book nerd. With books, you have access to the greatest literary minds that history has ever known. Lately though, I’ve been thinking about the natural resources that are being used in order for me to fulfill my book needs. I cherish my books.Much like a security blanket, I take comfort in the fact that they’re there for me when I need them. In fact, I imagine my final will and testament will read, “To my beloved children, I leave Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy and Howard Zinn—you’re welcome.”  Being a purist, I used to scoff at the idea of electronic books, as if a digital format would somehow strip Steinbeck and Vonnegut of their genius. A recent commute to work has me rethinking my position on these devices. I sat next to a gentleman on the train who was reading a book he recently downloaded onto his Amazon Kindle. It was a sleek little device that fit nicely into his messenger bag. I asked him if he would recommend one to an avid reader and he said he too loved the feel of a printed book, but appreciated the convenience his device provided. Always on lookout for ways to “green” my life and reduce my personal carbon footprint, it may be time for me to take a leap into the digital age of literature. Do you read on one of these devices? Do you have any advice for a newcomer?

‘Easy’ is not always the way to describe behavior change. However, I recently witnessed an almost instant behavior change in a large group of people that forced me to rethink possibilities. As you can see in the photo, The California Academy of Science, San Francisco, has a new spin on garbage cans. The way they have labeled the recycle, compost, and landfill categories is simple but brilliant. For over half hour I watched as visitor after visitor approached the bins, read the labels, and stopped to properly dispose off the contents of their tray. Each individual conscientiously sorted and carefully separated their waste.  Formerly known as “garbage”, the new recycle, compost, or landfill bins led to a slightly longer but far more accurate dumping task. Hats off to the Academy for the usage of the new bins. Congrats for educating visitors with such a simple touch point! 

Chances are, at some point in my lifetime, I will feel the effects of breast cancer. Whether personally, or through the pain of a loved one, statistically, it will happen to each one of us—frightening to say the least! As the neighborhood supermarket in hundreds of communities across North America, Safeway recognizes their obligation to serve in ways that extend beyond our core business. Nearly 10 years ago, Safeway began raising money towards breast cancer research as we race ever closer to a cure. Thanks to the generosity of customers (like you) and employees (like me), we have raised more than $78 million—every penny of which went to fund research for new treatments and, ultimately, a cure. During this October (breast cancer awareness month), while you’re shopping at your local Safeway, please consider giving $1 to fund the research that could potentially save your life, or the life of a loved one.

Did you know 49 million Americans are affected by hunger, including 17 million children? Hunger is a huge reality in our country, and as a leader in the grocery retail industry, Safeway is doing its part to decrease the number of people who struggle with it every day. As a result, hunger relief serves as one of the key areas that we support in fulfilling our commitment to give back to our communities. 

Safeway is proud to stand as one of the largest contributors to local food banks and hunger relief programs in its operating areas. Over the past three years alone, the company has donated nearly $200 million worth of merchandise to fight hunger in our nation. However, alleviating this problem requires all of our combined efforts. Here’s what you can do to help provide hunger relief in your own community:

1. Donate food and grocery products to charitable agencies nearby.

2. Share your time with a local food bank or organize a food drive in your community.

3. Encourage friends and family members to join the fight against hunger.

Let me know if you already do any or all of these. I would love to know!

Talk about preparing students for a brighter future for themselves as well as for the country. A partnership has been developed between the California Department of Education and the Pacific Gas and Electric Company that has resulted in the opening of New Energy Academies. The three-year programs seek to prepare students for job opportunities in the rapidly expanding energy sector as well as provide them with an academically rigorous learning experience that has a “real-world” application. Five schools have been chosen in California: Berkeley High School in Berkeley, Edison High School in Fresno, Foothill High School in Sacramento, Independence High School in Bakersfield and Venture Academy in Stockton. Hats off to these two organizations for getting the ball rolling with the youth on green energy! Please read more about these academies on the internet. http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr09/yr09rel139.asp

Living in a city like San Francisco has opened my eyes to a rich and diverse culture, but at the same time, has shown me just how fortunate I am to have even the most basic of necessities. While homelessness isn’t an issue specific to my city, it certainly is more widespread here. Each week, along with my 12-year old niece and 7-year old nephew, I prepare a handful of care packages for some of the individuals who have nowhere else to turn to but the street. While these care packages don’t solve the problem, I believe they, even just for a moment, make life a little more enjoyable. Homelessness might not be an obvious problem in your city, yet there will be people in your community who will go to bed hungry tonight. As your socially responsible activity of the month, consider volunteering at a soup kitchen one Saturday or Sunday morning. Helping prepare a hot meal for the less fortunate in your neighborhood will warm their hearts and bellies, and show them that they truly are not alone. This is also a perfect activity to do with your family, as most soup kitchens welcome help from people of all ages.

August is National Water Quality Month. Good quality water is such an imperative ingredient for life that I thought of writing about it. Simply turning on a faucet and receiving clean drinking water is not an option for everyone. Those of us who can get clean water are very lucky to have an infrastructure that allows for this privilege. It is vital that we do not take this vital resource for granted. Our activities can severely impact the water quality from the way we build our homes, landscape our yards, and dispose of waste. To find out more about your water quality and what you can do to make a difference visit: http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/ccr/whereyoulive.html. Please remember without water our world as we know it could not exist. Respect it!

Home is not only where the heart is, it’s also where environmental stewardship begins. Because a “green” home is a happy home, I have compiled a list of simple and convenient ways that’ll make being a steward of the environment a piece of cake. Many of these tips have an added bonus—they reduce household expenses, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

1. Compost food scraps.  Most household garbage cans are full of items that could easily be used to nourish plants and vegetables in your garden. Composting vegetables, fruit waste, coffee grounds, tea bags and grains cut down on the amount of material in landfills and prevent the need for chemical fertilizer in your garden.


2. Pay bills online.  In addition to saving you a trip to the post office, paying your bills electronically prevents unnecessary paper usage that occurs with traditional bill paying.   


3. Fill your washing machine with a full load of laundry.  Washing machines require a significant amount of water and electricity to run, so make sure you have enough whites, brights and darks to qualify for a laundry day. To save even more energy, hang your clothes out to dry on a drying rack when possible.   


4. Opt for “green” cleaning and laundry products.  Chemical cleaning products can release harmful toxins in the environment, so look for products made with biodegradable, naturally-derived ingredients instead (such as Safeway’s line of Bright Green™ products).  Using safer cleaning products will even help protect your family’s health.  


5. Replace your incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs.  You might be surprised that compact fluorescent light bulbs use only 25 percent of the energy of incandescent bulbs.  They also last up to 10 times longer, allowing you the convenience of changing your lights bulbs less frequently.   

We all know how important it is to do our part to protect the environment and preserve the natural beauty of our planet. I’m sure (after reading my blogs) all of our daily routines have come to include small behavioral changes such as turning lights off when we leave the room and recycling our kids’ endless array of plastic, glass and paper products. But more than likely, as soon as we hit the road for a few days, our green way of living goes out the window (along with our diets). Fortunately, there are a number of easy ways to maintain our sustainable lifestyles when we’re heading off for some much needed rest and relaxation. Here are a few of my favorite tips for traveling green:

1. Stay at environmentally-friendly hotels. Many hotels use smart energy designs to help reduce their carbon footprint. Look for one in the area you’re staying to support the green movement.


2. Eat at restaurants that offer locally-grown food. These products significantly cut down on greenhouse gas emissions since they require a much shorter transportation route than those that are outsourced from other areas. Plus, locally-grown foods tend to taste better, too.


3. Unplug hotel appliances when they’re not in use. Even when appliances are turned off, they use energy unnecessarily. So, unplug that mini-fridge if you’re not planning on using it during your stay. 


4. Take quick showers instead of baths. A five minute shower saves much more water than a bath, so leave the bath salts at home. Also try and reuse towels instead of using freshly laundered ones everyday.


5. Forget reserving a rental car and explore your vacation destination on foot. This will eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from your transportation and you’ll become better acquainted with the area you’re staying.

I believe activity time should not only occupy your child but also teach them life-long lessons. A few activities I enjoy with my daughter include using recycled art to create our own masterpieces, beach and neighborhood clean-ups, finding creative ways to conserve energy around the home, recycling, reusing, and reading. In order to plan these activities, ask your child how they would go about doing them on their own. Encourage your children to research the activities with you and help you plan them, then take it a step further and have your child prepare the plan for you. As an example, tell them you want them to teach you about conserving energy. They will love the opportunity to be a teacher and will learn a ton along the way.  

Cycling can be expensive and hard to get started yet it has been one of the most rewarding sports I’ve attempted. I find myself viewing the world through different lenses while riding my bike. Whether it is the architecture of the city, the natural surroundings in the parks or the intricate proof of city planning, I enjoy taking in the beauty that surrounds me while I ride. Currently, I ride for exercise, but one day I hope to bike to work with frequency.  

To start cycling, I would suggest taking a spin class to build stamina. Once you are ready for the road, make sure to find a bike shop you are comfortable with and get fitted for the proper sized bike. Starting with an entry level bike is just fine for now- no need to overspend, but make sure to have them show you how to fix a flat!  To ensure your safety, get a helmet that fits well and avoid headphones since you can not hear the noise around you. Eat well for plenty of energy and bring your sports drink of choice along for the ride. This is one small step toward reducing my personal carbon footprint and improving my health. Join me on the road…biking that is.

You know what I love about saving the planet? You don’t have to be a superhero to make a real difference. When you make small changes in your daily routine, they add up over time creating a lasting and meaningful effect, and those around you take notice and ask your advice on how they too can become better stewards of the environment. So, I thought it would be fun to list my top five personal environment tips for the office, and ask you to leave comments with ways to contribute to a healthier planet.

With no further ado, my top five tips are:

• Use daylight rather than office light when feasible
• Recycle your office paper (and go paperless whenever possible)
• Make it a habit to bring your own mug and dishware for those meals you eat at the office
• Carpool, bike or take public transportation when possible
• Keep a small, personal water filter on your desk along with a reusable mug to minimize the use of plastic bottles

Sounds easy right? That’s because it is. So no, you don’t have to be a superhero (although I am wearing a cape as I type this)!

In recent years, the idea of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has moved from the boardroom to the living room as consumers (like me) increasingly look for ways to be better stewards of the environment and communities in which they live. Often times, I will turn to corporations to help me make better informed decisions about what I’m buying. In this regard, I invite you to browse Safeway’s 2009 CSR report online at www.safeway.com/csr. I am proud of what Safeway has accomplished. Titled “The Heart of Safeway,” the CSR report highlights the company’s progress and accomplishments as they relate to sustainable business practices.

Did you know?

• Since 2001, Safeway has raised more than $132 million for breast and prostrate cancer research.
• In 2009, we opened our first store built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Standards in Santa Cruz, California and have plans to register additional stores for LEED certification in 2010.

Please don’t take my word for it, take a couple of minutes to investigate for yourself. In fact, I would encourage you to browse the CSR reports published by other companies that you frequent. Most companies put copies of their reports on their web site under the term corporate social responsibility or sustainability—happy reading.

Forty years ago, Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day as a way to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. Today, April 22, organizations across the country will hold events intended to spur individuals towards a more sustainable lifestyle. I think most of us would agree that we could do a better job being a little more environmentally friendly (remember the Green Resolutions we talked about in January? How are those coming along?). Our company is proud to feature Gaylord Nelson throughout the month of April. In fact, we have several environmentally friendly initiatives that make me a proud employee. For more information, visit www.safeway.com/csr. In honor of Gaylord Nelson, a true visionary, I will be putting my best “green” foot forward today, April 22—will you join me?

I have another story about my grandfather, Papa Joe. He always wanted us to understand the lifecycle of things. One afternoon, my cousins and I were playing in the water in the front yard and he turned off the hose. We all stopped and looked up. He said, “If one of you can tell me where this water comes from, I’ll turn the hose back on.”  One by one my cousins found other things to do but I started to look for the answer.  If it were now, I would pull out my iPhone and get my answer instantly. But a seven-year-old in 1982 had few options. After asking some neighbors, I had my answer. “Papa, the water comes from you paying the water company.” 

He simply smiled and put me in the car. We drove a short distance to a creek, where we spent a few hours looking at all the things whose existence was dependent on the same water we were wasting.  He calmly gave me the knowledge and just enough information to understand that I’m not the only bug on the planet that likes to play in the water.     

The person I’ve become is due in large part to the lessons I learned from him. Now, as a mother, I hope to instill in my daughter that same respect for natural resources. I don’t think we take them for granted on purpose. I do think we have been taken far away from the realities of how something as simple as a toilet is truly a privilege. A quick run through the house or office to look for leaky faucets or pipes can save hundreds of gallons of water as well as money.