EPA's GreenChill Program Helping Grocers Save the Green
Since it launched last November, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership has almost tripled its membership and prevented emissions of 2.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, equal to the yearly emissions of almost 500,000 cars, according to the agency.
GreenChill is an EPA cooperative alliance with the supermarket industry and suppliers to promote advanced technologies, strategies, and practices that lower emissions of stratospheric ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases.
To monitor their progress in the future, the program's supermarket partners created baseline measurements of corporatewide refrigerant emissions in 2007, and developed Refrigeration Management Plans to lower those emissions in 2008.
EPA said GreenChill partners are already emitting fewer ozone-depleting refrigerants and greenhouse gases than their non-GreenChill counterparts, and are saving money in the bargain -- nearly $13 million in operating costs, the EPA said.
The program now has 28 partners: 19 supermarket chains, four advanced refrigeration systems manufacturers and five chemical manufacturers. Partners include Acme Markets; Albertsons Intermountain West; Albertson's/Lucky Southern California; bigg's; Cub Foods; Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy; Hornbacher's; Jewel/Osco; Price Chopper; Shaw's/Star Markets; Shop'n Save St. Louis; Shoppers Food & Pharmacy; Supervalu, Inc.; Arkema; Dow Chemical; INEOS Fluor Americas; Hussmann Corp.; and Zero-Zone.
GreenChill partners are improving equipment leak tightness at installation, developing a Retrofits Best Practices Guideline, and setting goals to convert more supermarkets to advanced refrigeration technologies, EPA said.
The EPA GreenChill team said it will have representatives at the Food Marketing Institute’s inaugural Sustainability Summit in Minneapolis next week.
GreenChill is an EPA cooperative alliance with the supermarket industry and suppliers to promote advanced technologies, strategies, and practices that lower emissions of stratospheric ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases.
To monitor their progress in the future, the program's supermarket partners created baseline measurements of corporatewide refrigerant emissions in 2007, and developed Refrigeration Management Plans to lower those emissions in 2008.
EPA said GreenChill partners are already emitting fewer ozone-depleting refrigerants and greenhouse gases than their non-GreenChill counterparts, and are saving money in the bargain -- nearly $13 million in operating costs, the EPA said.
The program now has 28 partners: 19 supermarket chains, four advanced refrigeration systems manufacturers and five chemical manufacturers. Partners include Acme Markets; Albertsons Intermountain West; Albertson's/Lucky Southern California; bigg's; Cub Foods; Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy; Hornbacher's; Jewel/Osco; Price Chopper; Shaw's/Star Markets; Shop'n Save St. Louis; Shoppers Food & Pharmacy; Supervalu, Inc.; Arkema; Dow Chemical; INEOS Fluor Americas; Hussmann Corp.; and Zero-Zone.
GreenChill partners are improving equipment leak tightness at installation, developing a Retrofits Best Practices Guideline, and setting goals to convert more supermarkets to advanced refrigeration technologies, EPA said.
The EPA GreenChill team said it will have representatives at the Food Marketing Institute’s inaugural Sustainability Summit in Minneapolis next week.