Supermarkets Partner With EPA in GreenChill Program
Major
supermarkets joined with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Nov.
27 to show that protecting the stratospheric ozone layer is cool --
literally. EPA and the supermarket, refrigeration equipment and
chemical refrigerant industries launched the new GreenChill Advanced
Refrigeration Partnership -- a voluntary program to promote green
technologies, strategies, and practices that protect the stratospheric
ozone layer, reduce greenhouse gases, and save money.
"As Americans make greener choices, we look for companies that
support a greener lifestyle," said Robert J. Meyers, principal deputy
assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. "The
GreenChill logo is a clear sign of a supermarket's environmental
commitment. It shows that GreenChill members are doing their utmost to
save the ozone layer."
The 10 GreenChill founding partners are: Whole Foods Market; Food Lion,
LLC; Giant Eagle Inc.; Hannaford Bros. Co.; Harris Teeter; Hill
PHOENIX; Honeywell International; Kysor//Warren; Publix Super Markets
Inc.; and DuPont.
These partners, as well as others to join, must pledge to go beyond
regulatory requirements by establishing an inventory of current
refrigerant emissions that may affect climate change and the
stratospheric ozone layer, and then setting reduction targets for these
emissions. Partners will also participate in an industry/government
research initiative to assess the performance of cutting edge "green"
technologies in terms of energy efficiency, reduction of
ozone-depleting refrigerant charges, and minimization of refrigerant
leaks.
As an example of GreenChill Partnership initiatives that decrease
the impact of supermarkets on climate change, EPA estimates that
widespread adoption of advanced refrigeration technologies, best
practices, and improved equipment design and service could reduce
refrigerant emissions by one million metric tons of carbon equivalent
per year, the equivalent of taking 800,000 automobiles off the road
every year.
To counteract the depletion of stratospheric ozone, which protects
Earth's inhabitants from the sun's ultraviolet radiation, partners
guarantee to use only ozone-friendly alternatives and advanced
refrigeration technologies in all new and remodeled stores.
EPA believes that GreenChill partners' adoption of advanced
refrigeration technologies will lead to increased energy efficiency and
reduce operating expenses to the industry by over $12 million annually.
For more information on the program, visit: http://www.epa.gov/ozone/partnerships/greenchill.