Sprouts Receives Two GreenChill Awards

MICHAEL GARRY

ATLANTA — Sprout's Farmers Market, Phoenix, won an award for having the Best Emissions Rate — the lowest rate of refrigerant leaks over the previous calendar year — from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's GreenChill Partnership today at the Food Marketing Institute's Energy & Store Development Conference here.

It was one of several 2011 Environmental Achievement Awards announced by GreenChill, a voluntary program launched by the EPA in 2007 to address refrigerant leaks and other refrigeration issues.

The awards were given to retailers participating in the program, which now includes more than 7,300 supermarkets. Sprouts got the Best Emissions Rate award for a rate of 6.5%. Sprouts also received the "Best of the Best" award for the best GreenChill-certified store among stores certified in the past 12 months.

"To win GreenChill's award for the best corporate-wide emissions rate and for the best certified store in the nation is an incredible achievement," said Keilly Witman, manager of GreenChill. "This is the first time in the history of the partnership that both awards have gone to the same company."

McQuade's Marketplace, Westerly, R.I., which operates three stores, also received an award for the Best Emissions Rate for a small retailer. Other awards included: Most Improved Emissions Rate (Whole Foods); Goal Achievement Award (Supervalu and Raley's); Store Certification Excellence (Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market); and distinguished partner (Mitch Pearson of Hussmann and Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market).