Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has opened the first food retail store in southern California to use naturally occurring carbon dioxide (CO2) refrigeration.
According to a company press release, the store, located in Rosemead, is Fresh & Easy’s first to be GreenChill-certified and is among four outlets that the company opened today (Thursday 9 September), including the 100th in California.
Fresh & Easy said its CO2 refrigeration system is one of only four in the US and reduces the impact of the store’s refrigeration on the ozone layer by about 70 per cent, compared with industry standards.
“By utilising a natural refrigerant, the system has an approximately 50 per cent lower Global Warming Potential than traditional refrigerants,” the company explained.
The store in southern California also earned a silver certification award from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) GreenChill Partnership by meeting tough benchmarks for cutting emissions.
“Fresh & Easy’s Rosemead store is an excellent example of what can be achieved when a supermarket puts technology to work to help the ozone layer and fight climate change,” said Keilly Witman, Manager of EPA's GreenChill Partnership.
“This store’s commitment to reducing refrigerant emissions proves that Fresh & Easy is serious about protecting the environment.”
In addition to Fresh & Easy’s efforts to reduce refrigerant emissions, the company is also placing increasing focus on energy efficiency.
“On average, our stores use 30 per cent less energy than a typical supermarket, which helps our customers save money while also helping the environment,” said Fresh & Easy CEO Tim Mason.
“We’ve worked hard to make sure we are thoughtful in the impact we have on the environment and we’re excited to continue to innovate in this area.”
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