Albertsons Companies, Inc. received the Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the company’s efforts to provide products that use safer chemicals.

The company was recognized in the “Retailer” category for launching new Safer Choice-certified Own Brands products, raising awareness of the Safer Choice certification, and helping to identify opportunities for educating consumers to make informed buying decisions. Since the inception of the EPA program in 2015, Albertsons Cos. has received the award four times.

Chad Coester, Senior Vice President, Albertsons Cos. Own Brands.

“Our Own Brands team continues to innovate products that are safer for people and the environment,” said Chad Coester, Senior Vice President, Albertsons Cos. Own Brands. “In 2020, we received Safer Choice Certification on a new product category – laundry detergents. We now have six Open Nature^® laundry detergent products that meet the Safer Choice criteria.”

Consumers can identify products made with chemicals that are safer for human health and the environment by the Safer Choice label that appears on the product. This label means the EPA has evaluated the product’s ingredients and determined they meet the necessary criteria. Albertsons Cos. 2,277 stores offer a wide variety of Safer Choice-certified products, including Open Nature glass cleaners and laundry detergents that are only available at Albertsons Cos.’ stores.

The company’s exclusive Open Nature retail brand was introduced in 2011 and offers products that are free from 110 additives with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Today Open Nature offers 600 items throughout the store in multiple categories, including meat, seafood, meal ingredients, and snacks, as well as care items for home, baby, pet, and personal care for consumers looking for high-quality, minimally processed products that are better for their family, pets, and the environment.

All Safer Choice Certified Open Nature products feature the Safer Choice label on the front, along with a QR code on the back for easy access to more information. The six new Open Nature laundry detergent containers are recyclable, made with 25%+ recycled plastic content and have a How2Recycle label that provides customers with clear communications on how to properly recycle the containers. All of these features are part of Albertsons Cos.’ Plastics and Packaging Pledge, which aims to advance packaging sustainability throughout the company, starting with its extensive Own Brands portfolio.

“Ensuring our products are better for people and the planet is an important priority for Albertsons Cos.,” said Darcie Renn, Director of ESG & Sustainability at Albertsons Cos. “These products are great examples of how we are implementing sustainability more holistically throughout our decision-making process, whether it’s innovating product formulations, integrating recycled content in packaging, or leveraging standardized recycling communications for our customers.”

In addition to the company’s Plastics and Packaging Pledge, Albertsons Cos. has also committed to setting a Science Based Target to reduce carbon emissions in support of the goals of the United Nations’ Paris Agreement.