PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 20, 2011) The U.S
PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 20, 2011)
– The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency announced its 2011 GreenChill partner award
winners – supermarket chains that are helping the environment
by using environmentally-friendly refrigeration methods to reduce
harm on the Earth’s ozone layer and lessen climate change.
EPA’s GreenChill winners include well-known markets in
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and the District of
Columbia.
SUPERVALU, which operates ACME Markets, Farm
Fresh, and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, earned GreenChill’s
superior goal achievement. Whole Foods won EPA’s top award
for most improved reductions in refrigerant emissions.
“As EPA GreenChill partners, these grocers
are demonstrating their corporate responsibility and environmental
commitment in the communities they serve,” said EPA
mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “More
stores should follow their lead in helping to improve the health of
our communities by reducing pollution.”
Supermarkets who are GreenChill partners use
more environmentally-friendly refrigerants, reduce the amount of
refrigerants they use, eliminate refrigerant leaks, adopt green
refrigeration technologies and are more
energy-efficient.
EPA recognizes SUPERVALU with its superior goal
achievement award for meeting the company’s challenging
emissions reduction goal over the past year. Although GreenChill
partners achieve emission rates well below national averages, the
partners go further by setting ambitious, tough-to-achieve annual
goals to continuously improve their performance.
Whole Foods won the most improved emissions rate
award for the second time since 2007, the start of the GreenChill
program. This award acknowledges the GreenChill partner with the
most dramatic reduction in its corporate refrigerant emissions rate
from the previous year. The company’s efforts to stop
refrigerant leaks led to a 17 percent reduction in one
year.
More than 7,300 stores nationwide – 20
percent of the supermarket industry – are taking steps to
help the environment through EPA’s GreenChill partnerships.
More information on EPA’s GreenChill Partnership is available
at www.epa.gov/greenchill.