Hy-Vee Earns 2 EPA GreenChill Awards

Hy-Vee Inc. has received two GreenChill awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its stores' efforts to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change.

"Hy-Vee's commitment to lowering its refrigerant emissions across its stores proves the company is serious about its role in protecting the ozone layer and climate," said Tom Land, manager of EPA's GreenChill Partnership. "Hy-Vee's success achieving annual goals to reduce refrigerant emissions shows an understanding that sustainability is the business model of the future."

The latest awards recognize those who go above and beyond their emissions reduction goal, which West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee consistently demonstrates. The 235-store chain earned the 2014 Superior Goal Achievement award, which goes to each partner that achieves its annual GreenChill refrigerant emissions reduction goal, in addition to previously receiving the Exceptional Goal Achievement award, which is more difficult to earn.

"Hy-Vee believes a healthy environment and healthy communities go hand in hand," said Pat Hensley, Hy-Vee’s SVP of government/industry relations. "That’s why our sustainability mission is to promote the well-being of our customers, employees, communities and the global environment," added Hensley, who oversees the company's sustainability efforts. "Hy-Vee will continue to voluntarily and proactively commit to making sustainable choices."

GreenChill is an EPA partnership with food retailers that helps them transition to environmentally friendlier refrigerants, reduce the amount of refrigerant used by stores and eliminate leaks, and adopt green refrigeration technologies and environmental best practices.

With sales of $8.7 billion annually, employee-owned Hy-Vee operates stores across eight Midwestern states.