CARLISLE, Pa. – As part of its sustainable retailer commitment, The GIANT Company today announced it has joined the GreenChill program, a voluntary U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) partnership with food retailers, refrigeration system manufacturers and chemical manufacturers to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their environmental impacts.
As a program partner, GreenChill provides The GIANT Company and other industry stakeholders with information and assistance to transition to environmentally friendly refrigerants, reduce the amount of refrigerant they use, eliminate refrigerant leaks, implement environmental best practices, and adopt green refrigeration technologies. There are more than 12,500 GreenChill partner stores throughout the country.
“From reducing waste across our operations and the sustainable sourcing of the products we sell to seeking out opportunities for energy efficiencies and creating pollinator habitats, healing the planet is something we take seriously at The GIANT Company,” said John Ponnett, senior vice president of retail operations, The GIANT Company. “Our partnership with GreenChill reinforces this commitment and highlights the steps we are taking to reduce refrigerant emissions from our stores and perishable distribution centers, helping to ensure a better tomorrow for the families we serve.”
The GIANT Company is currently performing refrigerant conversions, installing leak detectors and replacing older refrigeration units when possible within its nearly 190 stores.
“The GreenChill Partnership is thrilled to welcome The GIANT Company,” said U.S. EPA GreenChill Program Manager Kirsten Cappel. “By entering the Partnership, The GIANT Company joins exemplary leaders in the food retail industry who are committed to improving their refrigerant management practices and protecting the environment.”
Refrigerants used by supermarkets are harmful to the environment when emitted into the atmosphere; some harm the ozone layer, and most are very potent greenhouse gases. A typical supermarket leaks about 875 pounds of harmful refrigerant gas into the atmosphere every year. GreenChill partner stores have much lower leak rates than average stores in the U.S. If every supermarket reduces its leak levels to the GreenChill average, the supermarket industry could save more than $160 million in refrigerant replacement costs and reduce emissions by about 30 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent every year and 88 ozone depletion potential metric tons. For more information on EPA’s GreenChill Program, visit epa.gov/greenchill.
To learn more about how The GIANT Company is committed to healing the planet, visit giantfoodstores.com/pages/our-purpose.
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About The GIANT Company
The GIANT Company believes that no matter where or how, when meals happen, families connect, and when families connect meaningfully, good happens. Guided by its brand platform, For Today’s Table™, the omni-channel retailer proudly serves millions of neighbors across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. A Great Place to Work™ certified company with more than 35,000 talented team members supporting nearly 190 stores, 132 pharmacies, 105 fuel stations, and over 145 online pickup hubs and grocery delivery service in hundreds of zip codes, The GIANT Company is changing the customer experience and connecting families for a better future. Founded in 1923 in Carlisle, Pa., The GIANT Company family of brands includes GIANT, MARTIN’S, GIANT Heirloom Market, GIANT Direct and MARTIN’S Direct. The GIANT Company is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA. For more information, visit the GIANT or MARTIN’S websites.
