Weis Markets Recognized by EPA, National Recycling Coalition

Weis Markets revealed it is the recipient of three Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) GreenChill Awards. The company was recognized in the categories of Most Improved Emissions Rate, Superior Goal Achievement and Store Re-Certification Excellence, as a result of its refrigerant management programs, reduced emissions rate, and overall efforts to protect the environment from harmful pollutants.

“Weis Markets is leading the way in training their refrigeration service technicians,” says EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “Over the past year they have launched new programs and implemented best service practices that are reducing their refrigerant emissions.”

Refrigerants used by supermarkets, if not managed properly, contribute to climate change and can harm the ozone layer. In fact, the EPA estimates that if supermarkets nationwide reduced their emissions to the GreenChill average emissions rate, the industry would eliminate the equivalent of 27 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, equal to eliminating the emissions from 63 million barrels of oil. In addition, reducing leaks of some types of refrigerants could also help restore the earth’s ozone layer, which protects the earth from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet radiation, a leading cause of skin cancer, according to company officials.

"It’s an honor to be recognized by the EPA’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership for our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.  We share these three awards with all our associates who continually help us improve our refrigeration management programs," says R. Kevin Small, Weis Markets vice president of development. “In recent years, we’ve utilized the GreenChill model of goal-setting and careful monitoring to broaden our ongoing sustainability to the areas of energy consumption and food recovery. Continuous improvement in sustainability is a crucial area for us and represents an ongoing commitment to the communities we serve.”

GreenChill is an EPA partnership that helps supermarkets transition to environmentally-friendlier refrigerants, reduce the amount of refrigerants used, and eliminate harmful refrigerant leaks.  GreenChill has 54 partners with more than 8,000 stores, representing more than 20 percent of the supermarket industry.

Weis Markets received top honors in the following categories: 2015 Achievement Award - Most Improved Emissions Rate (since baseline year). The most improved emissions rate award goes to the Partner with the most improved emissions rate for commercial systems from the previous year, and the Partner with the most improved emissions rate since their baseline year; 2015 Achievement Award - Superior Goal Achievement This award goes to each Partner that achieves its annual GreenChill refrigerant emissions reduction goal. 2015-2016 Achievement Award - Store Re-Certification Excellence [Bellefonte, P.A.]. This award goes to each supermarket that has renewed its GreenChill Store Certification for five consecutive years.

Weis Markets also announced that the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) recently recognized the food retailer for its food waste composting initiative, and its reusable and plastic bag recycling programs with the 2016 annual “Business Leadership in Recycling Award.”

“We are honored and proud to receive this award in recognition for the hard work and commitment we make each day to sustainability,” states Patti Olenick, Sustainability Manager at Weis Markets. “In 2015, we recycled 33,000 tons of material and set a goal to increase this total by another five percent in 2016. Our recycling program is key to our company’s success and our planet’s future.”

The award recognizes Weis Markets for its food composting program currently conducted in 70 stores throughout the Mid Atlantic region, its creative recycling of waxed cardboard that is used to produce Enviro-Log Fire Logs sold in company stores, and its recycling of plastic bags, which are used to produce Trex wood-alternative decking. The plastic lumber made from these bags is also built into benches that are distributed throughout local communities.

"The NRC Awards committee was impressed with Weis Markets’ multi-pronged approach to recycling,” says Lisa A. Skumatz, Ph.D principal, Skumatz Economic Research Associates (SERA). “The innovative programs serve as an outstanding example for others within the industry and were a deciding factor for this award."

NRC recently awarded Weis Markets the coveted award during the annual Resource Recycling Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. The NRC focuses on the promotion and enhancement of recycling in the United States with an emphasis on waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting. Its network consists of more than 6,000 members from non-profits, businesses, government organizations and trade associations.