-By Joseph Tarnowski

Community-based independent McQuade’s Marketplace has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) GreenChill Gold level certification for its Westerly, R.I., store by reducing its refrigerant emissions by 95 percent vs. standard supermarket refrigeration systems.

“Every business should do what they can to protect the environment for our children and grandchildren,” said Michael McQuade, president of McQuade’s Marketplace. “Our customers might not be aware of all the technical differences, but this equipment is the most environmentally friendly equipment we could find, and it will allow us to continue to provide our customers with the freshest meat, seafood and produce available.”

EPA’s GreenChill Partnership works with food retailers to promote green technologies that protect the stratospheric ozone layer, reduce greenhouse gases, and save money. By joining GreenChill, McQuade’s committed to reduce the company’s refrigerant emissions to fight climate change and protect the earth’s ozone layer by:

--Ensuring that all new or remodeled stores are free of ozone-depleting refrigerants
--Establishing a baseline measurement of refrigerant emissions and set annual emissions reduction targets
--Following GreenChill’s environmental best-practice guidelines for the supermarket industry

The grocer worked with Conyers, Ga.-based Hill Phoenix to install the supplier’s environmentally friendly Second Nature refrigeration systems for both low-temperature (frozen foods) and medium-temperature (meat, seafood, deli, dairy and produce) applications.

According to Scott Martin, Hill Phoenix’s director of sustainable technologies, the new equipment will significantly reduce the store’s environmental footprint. “We believe McQuade’s Westerly store will see an estimated reduction of nearly 33 million pounds of CO2 in its total carbon footprint over a 10-year period, a significant and laudable accomplishment,” he said.

McQuade’s operates three locations in Connecticut and Rhode Island.