New EPA Program

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and some of the supermarket industry’s leading stakeholders have teamed up to put the chill on greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances caused by refrigeration. The GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership aims to promote technologies, strategies and practices that reduce emissions of ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases and increase refrigeration-system energy efficiency. Some of the new technologies would also require less maintenance, provide improved operations and extend the shelf life of foods.

Members of the voluntary program pledge to exceed regulatory requirements by keeping track of emissions from refrigeration and setting reduction goals. They also will participate in research to test the effectiveness of new technologies.

The founding retail partners of the new alliance are Food Lion, Giant Eagle, Hannaford Bros., Harris Teeter, Publix Super Markets and Whole Foods Market. Supplier founding partners include DuPont, Hill PHOENIX, Honeywell International and Kysor/Warren.