Whole Foods Market Recognizes Emerson’s Grind2Energy with ‘2015 Green Supplier of the Year’ Award in North Atlantic Region
Grind2Energy Helps Whole Foods Market Convert Food Waste into
Renewable Energy
When it comes to environmental responsibility, Whole Foods Market may be
best-known for its efforts to sustainably provide high-quality food and
lead with environmentally-conscious operations. To succeed, the company
embraces innovation that helps minimize the environmental impact of
waste.
Whole Foods Market’s broad environmental commitment led to the company’s
early adoption of Grind2EnergyTM, Emerson’s food waste
recycling system, in stores in its North Atlantic Region. Through
Grind2Energy’s innovative process, food waste at these stores is ground
on-site using a customized, industrial-strength InSinkErator® grinder,
which is then converted into a slurry and transported to extract methane
for energy production and fertilizer.
The Grind2Energy solution, which is now installed at 10 locations in the
area, has helped Whole Foods Market in their multi-faceted and ongoing
efforts to dramatically reduce landfill waste from their stores. As the
company continues to expand use of Grind2Energy, the successful
partnership was recently celebrated when Whole Foods Market designated
Grind2Energy as the region’s Green Supplier of the Year.
“Whole Foods Market works to minimize waste across our operations and
Grind2Energy helps us ensure unavoidable food waste is converted into a
renewable energy source,” said Karen Franczyk, Green Mission Coordinator
for Whole Foods Market’s North Atlantic region. “Emerson has proven to
be a strong and energetic partner, passionate about innovation that is
truly helping Whole Foods Market advance our environmental stewardship.”
Grind2Energy was initially installed in 2014 in a Whole Foods Market in
Andover, Massachusetts handling the store’s food waste from the meat and
seafood departments, as well as produce and prepared foods. Since then,
Emerson has helped Whole Foods Market produce more than 220,000 pounds
of nutrient-rich fertilizers, eliminate greenhouse gas emissions
equivalent to more than 2.5 million automobile miles and convert enough
natural gas to heat nearly 850 homes for one month.
“Whole Foods Market embraced the potential of Grind2Energy early on, and
we’re excited with the results they’ve seen in using the process to
convert food waste into energy,” said Chad Severson, president of
InSinkErator, a business of Emerson. “We are honored by the Green
Supplier of the Year designation, and we’re looking forward to a
continued strong partnership in the future.”
Grind2Energy is an important part of a growing environmental movement to
process food waste with disposers rather than sending it to landfills.
Results from Whole Foods Market and other Grind2Energy early adopters
have demonstrated the solution’s ability to reduce landfill waste,
generate significant energy from renewable resources, and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, all at costs that are
equal to or less than composting or other environmentally friendly
options.
Food waste is a significant societal problem today, representing the
single largest source of landfill waste. When it decomposes in
landfills, food waste emits the powerful greenhouse gas methane, which
is believed to contribute to climate change if not captured. The United
Nations estimates that we waste
one-third of the food that we produce globally each year – or 1.3
billion tons, yet various studies show that less than 5 percent of this
food waste is recycled today.
“Grind2Energy is a tremendous opportunity for grocers and other large
scale producers to reduce the impact of food waste on our environment,”
Severson said. “We encourage leaders in food sales and service
industries to review the results seen by Grind2Energy customers and
consider similar initiatives.”
About InSinkErator
Headquartered in Racine, Wis., InSinkErator, a business of Emerson
(NYSE: EMR), is the world’s largest manufacturer of food waste disposers
and instant hot water dispensers for home and commercial use. For more
information about InSinkErator products, call 1-800-558-5700 or visit
the company’s website at www.insinkerator.com.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global
leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide
innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and
consumer markets around the world. The company is comprised of five
business segments: Process Management, Industrial Automation, Network
Power, Climate Technologies, and Commercial & Residential Solutions.
Sales in fiscal 2015 were $22.3 billion. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.
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