Weis Markets receives 'silver' certification from GreenChill

SUNBURY, Pa. Regional supermarket chain Weis Markets has earned a certification award from the GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership, a voluntary Environmental Protection Agency alliance with food retailers to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change.

The store, located in Hanover, Pa., attained a "silver" certificate, Weis said. To achieve silver certification, a store must meet specific criteria, including the following:

• Use refrigerants that do not damage the Earth's protective ozone layer
• Reduce the size of its refrigerant charge by at least 50% from the industry average
• Reduce annual refrigerant emissions to 15 percent or less of total store capacity
• Test refrigeration systems for adherence to GreenChill's leak tightness guidelines.

GreenChill was launched in late 2007. Weis Markets became a partner in mid-2008.  A formal in-store presentation is planned for this spring.

"We're pleased our Hanover store has achieved GreenChill's silver certification level.  While we have long focused on ways to conserve energy and lessen the environmental impact of our stores, this project represents an increased commitment on our part," said David Hepfinger, Weis Markets' president and CEO. "In the coming years, we will look for opportunities to incorporate these technologies into the stores we build or upgrade."