New Seasons Market Earns EPA Platinum Certification

New Seasons Market has received EPA Platinum Certification for its new 37,000-square-foot store in Mercer Island, Wash., the first EPA GreenChill Platinum Certification for the grocer.

The certification recognizes New Seasons' efforts at its new store, which opened Nov. 10, in reducing refrigerant emissions by at least 95 percent. This is comparable to removing the emissions of 103 passenger vehicles from the road.

Allowing for the certification is the Purity transcritical carbon dioxide system from Bridgeton, Mo.-based refrigeration systems manufacturer Hussmann. The complete, natural refrigerant system operates efficiently in low-, medium- and high-temperature applications and can be used in combination with all three.The system is optimized for an operating range of 15 to 225 tons and is highly adaptable for use in most climatic conditions.

“We are very proud and honored to receive this award from EPA’s GreenChill Partnership,” said Beau Butler, New Seasons Market's director of construction and facilities, “We have been wanting to do a 'greener' refrigeration system project, and the Mercer Island store provided us the opportunity to do so by installing a transcritical CO2 refrigeration system which removes HFCs from our store and reduces our business' carbon footprint. This is our first transcritical CO2 project, but hopefully not our last.”

Based in Portland, Ore., New Seasons Market operates 20 stores, most of them in the Portland metropolitan area.