Sep 19, 2012 10:24 AM

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) GreenChill Partnership has recognized Albertsons and Whole Foods Market’s efforts to enhance green refrigeration in their supermarkets, protect the Earth’s ozone layer, and combat climate change.

GreenChill works with supermarkets to use low-impact refrigerants and reduce harmful refrigerant emissions. The partnership has 54 members with almost 8,000 stores, representing more than 20% of the supermarket industry.

Whole Foods won the GreenChill award for exceeding the company’s emission reduction goals. Even though GreenChill partners achieve emission rates well below national averages, all partners set ambitious annual goals to continually improve their performance.

“Whole Foods Market has invested enormous time and energy into improving their corporate-wide refrigerant emissions rate,” said Keilly Witman, GreenChill Partnership manager. “Everyone who works for the company contributed to this accomplishment.”

Albertsons, owned by SuperValu, earned this year’s Distinguished Partner Award. This honor is given to the supermarket partner company that goes above and beyond to advance the mission of the GreenChill Partnership.

EPA estimates that if supermarkets nationwide reduced their emissions to the GreenChill average emissions rate, the industry would eliminate the equivalent of 22 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. That is equal to removing more than 4.3 million passenger vehicles from the road. This would also help restore the ozone layer, which protects the Earth from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet radiation, a leading cause of skin cancer.

Access www.epa.gov/greenchill/ to learn more about GreenChill.