Lenta : collected 4.5 tonnes of used batteries

St. Petersburg, Russia; 19 July 2017 - Lenta (LSE, MOEX: LNTA), one of the largest retail chains in Russia, announces the initial success of its Eco-Box Project, with a total of 4.5 tonnes of used batteries collected by the Company's Saint Petersburg hypermarkets over a six-month period.

In co-operation with the Saint Petersburg's municipal Natural Resource Management Committee, Lenta installed eco-boxes for safe collection and storage of used batteries in 20 of the city's hypermarkets late last year. The initiative was undertaken as part of 'Green Lenta', an umbrella programme for the Company's environmental protection and waste management projects. It also kicked off 2017 as the Year of Environment at Lenta.

While appearing harmless, batteries in fact utilise highly reactive chemicals to generate and store electricity. These chemicals, including mercury, alkali metals, lead, and cadmium, are highly toxic and hazardous to humans and the environment. When not handled correctly, the metal battery casing of is prone to breakage, risking toxic leakage into soil, groundwater or the atmosphere.

The eco-box is especially designed for contactless collection and temporary storage of unwanted batteries, preventing any damage and potential release of hazardous chemicals into the environment. The batteries collected are then safely disposed of using certified technology by Saint Petersburg's municipal company, Ecostroy.

Andreas Jueterbock, Lenta's Divisional Director, commented: 'We are happy to see this project proactively supported by our customers. In short six months, we have collected 4.5 tonnes of used batteries sending them for safe disposal. It is easy to imagine the environmental damage these batteries could potentially cause if disposed of improperly.'

Environmental protection is an important aspect of Lenta's commitment to corporate social responsibility. The Company recycles secondary raw materials such as cardboard, polyethylene, and plastic through a centralised collection system. At the same time, it is also working to gradually replace its fluorescent lamps containing mercury and extract the heavy metal for further recycling. The Company takes particular care to only use energy-saving and environmentally safe freezing equipment, as well as to efficiently treat the wastewater produced by its operations.

About Lenta
Lenta is the largest hypermarket chain in Russia (in terms of selling space) and the country's fifth largest retail chain (in terms of 2016 sales). The Company was founded in 1993 in St. Petersburg. Lenta operates 195 hypermarkets in 78 cities across Russia and 59 supermarkets in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk and the Central region with a total of approximately 1,173,416 sq.m of selling space. The average Lenta hypermarket store has selling space of approximately 5,700 sq.m. The average Lenta supermarket store has selling space of approximately 900 sq.m. The Company operates seven owned distribution centres.

The Company's price-led hypermarket formats are differentiated in terms of their promotion and pricing strategies as well as their local product assortment. The Company employed approximately 45,689 people as of 31 December 2016.

The Company's management team combines a mix of local knowledge and international expertise coupled with extensive operational experience in Russia. Lenta's largest shareholders include TPG Capital and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, both of which are committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance. Lenta is listed on the London Stock Exchange and on the Moscow Exchange and trades under the ticker: 'LNTA'.

A brief video summary on Lenta's business and its Big Data initiative can be seen here.

For further information please visit www.lentainvestor.com, or contact:

Lenta
Anastasia Kuznetsova,
Corporate Communications Manager
Тel:+7 (812) 336 39 97
E-mail: a.kuznetsova@lenta.com

FTI Consulting
Russian Media:
Anton Karpov & Victoria Afonina
Тel:+7 495 795 06 23
E-mail: lenta@FTIconsulting.com

FTI Consulting
International Media:
Leonid Fink & Viktor Pomichal
Тel: +44 (0)20 3727 1700
E-mail: Leonid.Fink@fticonsulting.com
Viktor.Pomichal@fticonsulting.com