EPA honors Whole Foods green efforts

AUSTIN, Texas Whole Foods Market today announced that it has been awarded the Green Power Partner of the Year award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a second consecutive year. According to the company, this is the fourth consecutive year Whole Foods Market has been recognized with a Green Power Leadership Award by EPA, after being recognized initially in 2004 for the company's growing commitment to green power purchasing.

Whole Foods said it is being recognized this year for increasing its green power purchasing to include more than 509 million kilowatt-hours of wind-based renewable energy credits. This is enough renewable energy to offset 100% of the electricity used in all of its stores, facilities, bake houses, distribution centers, regional offices and global headquarters in the U.S. and Canada.

"Our commitment to the development of the green power market is just one part of our broader environmental stewardship approach, which we call our Green Mission," said Michael Besancon, regional president and green mission task force leader for Whole Foods Market. "We're proud to be recognized once again by EPA for our efforts to be part of the solution."

Whole Foods Market received the EPA's highest honor for its green power purchases at an Oct. 22 awards event in Philadelphia on the first night of the National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference.