ALDI U.S. Recognized by EPA for Environmental Milestones

Grocery retailer named a leader for use of green power and eco-conscious refrigerants

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Oct 06, 2020, 05:00 ET

BATAVIA, Ill., Oct. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanks to its ongoing commitment to reduce overall environmental impact, ALDI recently received the 2020 Green Power Leadership Award and a 2019 GreenChill Store Certification, as well as a Re-Certification Excellence Award for select stores, from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

"We are proud to receive these honorable recognitions from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency," said Aaron Sumida, vice president, ALDI. "As one of America's largest retailers, it's important for ALDI to prioritize our adoption of green power usage across our operations, showing others that it's an affordable, accessible choice that can help reduce air pollution and other emissions. We look forward to continuing our sustainability journey by taking intentional and strategic steps to make our stores and warehouses more environmentally friendly."

The annual Green Power Leadership Awards are part of the EPA's Green Power Partner recognition program that celebrates America's leading green power users for their commitment and contribution to helping advance the development of the nation's voluntary green power market. ALDI was one of only four organizations nationwide to receive an Excellence in Green Power Use Award for demonstrating exemplary action and dedication to significantly advancing the U.S. renewable energy market.

ALDI is currently purchasing more than 980 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, which is enough green power to meet more than 100 percent of the organization's electricity use. Additionally, ALDI ranks No. 16 on EPA's National Top 100 list of participating companies, No. 3 on the Top 30 Retail list and No. 15 on the Top 30 On-site rewewables list. Each list highlights EPA Green Power Partners using the most renewable electricity annually as of July 2020.

The EPA's GreenChill Partnership helps supermarkets make the shift to environmentally friendlier refrigerants, reduce harmful refrigerant emissions and adopt greener refrigeration technologies and environmental best practices. ALDI also recently received a Store Certification Excellence award for achieving the most GreenChill store certifications in the past year, as well as a Store Re-Certification Excellence award in select stores in New York for renewing GreenChill store certifications for five consecutive years. As of December 2019, ALDI has more than 300 GreenChill-certified stores across the country. Each of these store certifications received platinum ratings, which is the highest level of achievement.

"For the second year in a row, ALDI has demonstrated their exceptional leadership in food retail refrigerant management," said Kirsten Cappel, GreenChill program manager. "In this annual recognition cycle, ALDI certified 331 stores all at the Platinum level - the highest possible certification. This achievement exemplifies the ALDI commitment to sustainable refrigeration management and the use of advanced refrigeration technologies that are better for the environment."

"ALDI has prioritized its people, its communities and the environment since day one. We are dedicated to reducing our overall environmental impact. From recycling and using solar power to building environmentally friendly warehouses and stores, ALDI is committed to being a more sustainable business," Sumida added.

As part of a $5 billion capital investment in new and remodeled stores across the U.S., ALDI is increasing its renewable energy building elements, including preference for energy-saving LED lighting, energy-efficient refrigerated systems and rooftop solar systems on twelve warehouses and 108 stores – and counting. For more on corporate responsibility and sustainability efforts at ALDI, visit https://corporate.aldi.us/en/corporate-responsibility/.

About ALDI U.S.
ALDI is one of America's fastest growing retailers, serving millions of customers across the country each month. With more than 2,000 stores across 36 states, ALDI is on track to become the third-largest grocery retailer by store count by the end of 2022. When it comes to value, ALDI won't be beat on price. For 10 years running, ALDI has held the esteemed title of Value Leader among U.S. grocery stores by Market Force Information**, and ALDI has been No. 1 for price according to the Dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index Report for three years running. Since 1976, ALDI has offered a unique shopping experience where customers Shop differentli® and never have to compromise on quality, selection or value. In fact, 1 in 3 ALDI-brand products are award-winning***. Customers can save time and money by conveniently shopping in-store or online at shop.aldi.us. ALDI also proudly serves as a Feeding America Leadership Partner, donating 30 million pounds of food each year in an effort to end hunger in America. For more information about ALDI, visit aldi.us.

*Curbside and delivery to limited geographic areas only. Prices may vary depending on the platform used. Additional fees apply to curbside and delivery orders. Items on sale in the store may not be on sale through the Instacart platform. Prices and availability are subject to delays or errors and may change without notice. As a result, the in-store price of a particular item at the time a purchase is made, including for weighted items, may differ from what is available through the Instacart platform. Additional fees apply to online orders.
**According to annual surveys of U.S. consumers conducted 2011-18 and 2020 by Market Force Information.®
***As of 1/29/20, based on an audit of everyday, nationally distributed ALDI-exclusive branded products.

About EPA's Green Power Partnership & Green Power Leadership Awards
EPA's Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that helps increase green power use among U.S. organizations to advance the American market for green power and development of those sources as a way to reduce air pollution and other environmental impacts associated with electricity use. Now celebrating their twentieth year, the Green Power Leadership Awards allow EPA to recognize the exceptional achievement among EPA Green Power Partners who distinguish themselves through green power procurement, market leadership, overall green power strategy and overall impact on the green power market. For additional information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.

About EPA's GreenChill Partnership
EPA's GreenChill Program is a voluntary partnership with food retailers, refrigeration system manufacturers and chemical manufacturers to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their environmental impacts. GreenChill provides supermarkets and other industry stakeholders with information and assistance to: transition to environmentally friendlier refrigerants, reduce the amount of refrigerant they use, eliminate refrigerant leaks, implement environmental best practices, and adopt green refrigeration technologies. There are over 12,500 GreenChill Partner stores throughout the nation. For more information on EPA's GreenChill Program, please visit www.epa.gov/greenchill.

SOURCE ALDI