I recently, and, accidentally came across a shrewd business system to reduce cost, help the environment and provide funds for local Charities. Canada Safeway is the largest food Super Market chain West of the lake-head. They operate clean, well-run Food and Pharmaceutical stores across the West. Food and medicine markets are very competitive and customer loyalty is a critical part of marketing. I shop at Safeway, but was not aware of what happens behind the scenes.

We all are staggered by the price of food, but Safeway may have an edge in Cost Controls with their environmental recovery programs. Every one is aware that business must look at the bottom line or fail. Business survival depends on the "One Third Theory." (Harvard Business School) ~ One third of income is the cost of doing business, One third goes to expanding/updating and One third to the owners/shareholders. If any of theses Thirds get permanently skewed, the business will eventually fail.

Here are some of the environment-friendly cost controls Safeway has implement to ensure that their Thirds do not get skewed.

First Smiling Elf on Safeway and Corrections Canada Report Cards
On chatting with the Produce Manager at "my" Southland Crossing Safeway, I asked what he did with the damaged fruit and vegetables. I was told that these are collected from all the stores and transported to the Federal Prison at Bowden Alberta, where the inmates compost it, bag it, and sell it back to Safeway. The money the Inmates get goes into their personal trust accounts, which help to maintain them while in prison and after they are released. I was aghast, but my Manager, Jim, got me in touch with Toby Oswald, the Organ Grinder at Safeway HQ, for more information on Safeway's programs (I like to talk to the Organ Grinder, not the monkey, for in-depth information.)

Second and third Smiling Elves on Safeway Report Card.
The high-grade compost soil is used around Safeway properties to plant, trees, shrubs and flowers and is sold to customers by the bag. Proceeds from these sales go to support local Charities and Public Service groups.

Smiling Business Elf.
Most corporations donate to support community works, but Safeway can adjust their donation budget downward but then bring it back up to it's normal percentage level by using it's environmental programs' "cash received from waste or earned from waste." The money saved is now back in it's proper "Third." It can also offset the cost of their Pharmaceutical program for the "return of redundant medicine and pills" for disposal in a toxic waste site in Swan Hills Alberta. There is no charge for this service to the patron, but Safeway must pay for this public protection plan. When my Lady wife died of Cancer, there was a large selection of drugs left in my home. I did not flush them or put them into the landfill garbage, which would add to down stream water problems. I gave them to Safeway for proper disposal. A very Big "Community Service" Smiling Elf to Safeway for this program.

I had lunch with Toby Oswald (no relation to Lee Harvey). Toby is VP Public Affairs Canada Safeway. She is brilliant, charming, and very knowledgeable about Canada Safeway's internal and public support programs. Toby provided me with copies of Internal News Letters for encouraging and educating Safeway staff on all Environmental and work place Safety programs.

Another Smiling Elf.
Safeway has a charitable donation program and are taking request for donations right now. To get information on their Donation eligibility requirements for your community, contact:

Ms. Toby Oswald, VP Public Affairs
Canada Safeway
PO Box 864
Calgary, Alberta T2P2J6
Or phone: (403) 730 3006

She or one of her excellent staff will help you.

Yet Another Smiling Elf.
Safeway has recovered many tons of Plastic bags and Cardboard and are encouraging suppliers to reduce their packaging to a minimum. They are also big supporters of The Food Bank. Dinged cans are only one of the many things Safeway donates.

A Crying Elf!
One of the largest ground water pollution problems is, believe it or not, are discarded BATTERIES. They're in almost every thing today - toys, cameras, watches, hearing aids, flashlights, etc. What can we do with the millions of them when they're dead? Perhaps Safeway could come up with a collection point and sell them to the Recycling companies to recover metal and stop the polluting chemicals from going to our Landfills and leaching into the water. Cadmium, for one, causes brain tumours and liver damage, especially in children and unborn or suckling babies.

Safeway has set a good example with its environmentally-friendly and cost effective programs. You may wish to give a copy of this article to your store manager and ask him/her "What are you doing? If not why not? Get some Smiling Elves on our Report Card"

Meanwhile, I will continue to shop at MY Safeway, secure in the knowledge that they have a lot of Smiling Elves on their Report Card!

If your store/business has good Environmental or Public Service ideas, share them with www.canadianculture.com/geezer/ our Environment and Communities need all the help they can get!

Signed; the Galloping Geezer
Jack C. Downey CD
Send comments to: Jack

Get Involved!
Your Ideas are Important!
Content is contributed by various Canadians and does not necessarily reflect the views of canadianculture.com.