WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Shaw’s Supermarkets Inc. has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership, along with 11 other divisions of Minnesota-based Supervalu Inc.
That brings the program to 27 partners, including the 12 Supervalu divisions, the company said in a statement today.
GreenChill, a voluntary program launched in January, was created by the EPA to protect the ozone layer and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by promoting green technologies, strategies and practices in the supermarket industry.
Businesses that join the partnership commit to using only non-ozone-depleting refrigerants in all commercial refrigeration applications in new and remodeled stores, reducing emissions of ozone-depleting and greenhouse gas refrigerants every year, and participating in a public-private research initiative to asses the performance of advanced technologies.
“As a corporate citizen, Shaw’s has a responsibility to minimize our environmental footprint,” said Larry Wahlstrom, president of Shaw’s. “This partnership is another example of our ongoing commitment to reduce waste, use energy more efficiently and operate more sustainably.”
“We are very happy to welcome Shaw’s into the GreenChill Partnership,” Cindy Newberg, acting branch chief for the EPA’s Alternatives and Emissions Reduction Branch, said in a statement. “By reducing emissions of refrigerants that harm the ozone layer and contribute to climate change, Shaw’s is demonstrating its clear commitment to preserving the environment.”
Other participants in GreenChill include Whole Foods Market Inc. and Hannaford Bros. Co. They were among the EPA program’s 10 founding partners, along with Food Lion, Publix and, Giant Eagle supermarkets, Honeywell, DuPont, HillPhoenix (a Dover company), Kysor/Warren and Arkema. (READ MORE)
Additional information about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its GreenChill Partnership is available from the EPA’s Stratospheric Protection Division at epa.gov.
Shaw’s Supermarkets Inc., Star Market and Osco Pharmacy are divisions of Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Supervalu Inc. (NYSE: SVU). In the six New England states, the company has more than 200 stores employing about 28,000 associates. Supervalu also provides distribution and logistic services to more than 5,000 grocery endpoints across the country through its nationwide supply-chain network. For more information, visit www.Shaws.com, www.OscoPharmacy.com, or www.Supervalu.com.
