During the Food Market Institute Energy & Store Development Conference, Keilly Witman of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership, announces the names of supermarkets, manufacturers, and individuals honored with 2012 GreenChill Awards. In addition, she updated attendees on regulatory developments.

The Giant Eagle supermarket chain was recognized for ‘Best Emissions Rate’ for having the lowest corporate-wide refrigeration rate among GreenChill partner stores.

Buehler’s Fresh Foods supermarket chain won for ‘Most Improved Emissions Rate,’ which goes to the partner with the best improvement in lower emission rates for commercial systems, and was one of five store chains that earned ‘Superior Goal Achievement’ for chains that achieve their annual GreenChill refrigeration emissions reduction goal.

In addition to Buehler’s, the winners in the ‘Superior Goal Achievement’ are Hy-Vee, McQuade’s Marketplace, Weis Markets, and Whole Foods Market.

An Albertsons store in Carpinteria, Calif., owned by Supervalu, was awarded ‘Best of the Best’ for being the highest rated of all GreenChill-certified stores in the past year.

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market earned ‘Store Certification Excellence for a Supermarket Partner’ recognition for a supermarket partner that achieved the most GreenChill store certifications in the past year.

The manufacturer Hill Phoenix was presented ‘Store Certification Excellence for a Non-Supermarket Partner,’ given to a commercial systems manufacturer that achieves the most GreenChill-certified advanced refrigeration systems in the past year.

The Distinguished Partner winners were Supervalu and the late David Hinde of Hill Phoenix going to the individual and/or organization that has “demonstrated extraordinary leadership and initiative in achieving GreenChill’s mission in the past year.”

GreenChill is an EPA partnership with food retailers to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change.

GreenChill works to help food retailers:

• Transition to environmentally friendlier refrigerants;

• Lower refrigerant charge sizes and eliminate leaks; and

• Adopt green refrigeration technologies and best environmental practices.

The GreenChill Partnership has three main programs that help food retailers reduce their refrigerant emissions:

• The Food Retailer Corporate Emissions Reduction Program;

• The Store Certification Program for Advanced Refrigeration; and

• The Advanced Refrigeration Promotion Program.

Publication date: 10/22/2012