EPA doubles up green awards for Whole Foods Market®

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Whole Foods Market has received a 2012 Green Power Leadership Award for sustained excellence from the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) for its renewable energy purchase of 800 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) last year.  The annual award recognizes leading green power purchasers for their commitment and contribution to helping advance the development of the nation's voluntary green power market. 

In addition to its renewable energy purchases, Whole Foods Market is generating nearly 258,000 kWh annually with the use of on-site solar arrays, which is enough green power to meet 107 percent of the grocer's electricity use. Whole Foods Market adds this most recent award to its three previous Green Power Partner of the Year and two Green Power Purchasing awards from the EPA.

The grocer also received the Superior Achievement Award from the EPA's GreenChill Partnership for reaching its refrigerant emission reduction goal for last year. GreenChill works with grocers to decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change by reducing refrigerant emissions. Whole Foods Market has won a GreenChill award the past four years as well.

Whole Foods Market currently ranks fifth on EPA's National Top 50 List, as well as third on its Top 20 Retail List. Each list highlights EPA Green Power Partners that have completed the largest annual voluntary purchases through July 5, 2012. 

Whole Foods Market continues to be a leader in eco-friendly business practices. For example, in an upcoming meeting with the company's Green Mission Team Members and the Yale community on Oct. 5 at 1:00 p.m. EST, Kathy Loftus will lead a talk discussing how Whole Foods Market has woven its Green Mission into all areas of its business and how this has enabled the Company to stand out as the nation's leading green food retailer.  To watch live, visit: http://new.livestream.com/yale/SustainabilityLeadersWholeFoods. Additionally, global grocery buyer Errol Schweizer will lead a discussion on food and sustainability at 2:00 p.m. EST. Watch here: http://new.livestream.com/yale/FoodAndSustainability.

To learn more about Whole Foods Market's environmental efforts, visit http://wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-values/environmental-stewardship/green-mission.

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SOURCE Whole Foods Market