Wal-Mart, Target, and Whole Foods among Top 'Green' Companies, Firm Says
NEW YORK -- Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, and Target are the three grocery industry players that made a new top 10 list of green companies released this week by Juice Energy, Inc., an electricity supplier with a focus on renewable sources.
Juice Energy and its staff of environmental and energy experts identified the companies that it considers “frontrunners in the shift to green business.”
According to a survey by the Retail Industry Leaders Association, 66 percent of retailers have already begun the transition to green operations, the firm noted.
Juice Energy said Whole Foods purchases green power equal to 100 percent of its electricity usage, over 509,100,000 kWh annually. The retailer’s green power usage earned it the distinction of EPA Green Power Partnership Power Partner of the Year 2006. It ranks third among all green power purchasers. Whole Foods also gained LEED Silver certification for its Sarasota, Fla. store, the first supermarket to earn the designation.
Wal-Mart has made a commitment to reduce overall GHG emissions by 20 percent over the next eight years and set a long-term corporate goal to purchase 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources, Juice Energy said. Wal-Mart has also set a goal to increase fuel efficiency of its fleet by 25 percent over the next three years and is currently the largest single purchaser of 100 percent organic cotton products.
Juice Energy said Target became a certified organic produce retailer late last year and now offers more than 500 choices of organic certified food. Target also reduces waste through food-donation programs, giving away nearly 7 million pounds of food last year. The retailer also has four buildings in California using on-site solar electricity, with systems under development at 14 additional stores.
Juice Energy and its staff of environmental and energy experts identified the companies that it considers “frontrunners in the shift to green business.”
According to a survey by the Retail Industry Leaders Association, 66 percent of retailers have already begun the transition to green operations, the firm noted.
Juice Energy said Whole Foods purchases green power equal to 100 percent of its electricity usage, over 509,100,000 kWh annually. The retailer’s green power usage earned it the distinction of EPA Green Power Partnership Power Partner of the Year 2006. It ranks third among all green power purchasers. Whole Foods also gained LEED Silver certification for its Sarasota, Fla. store, the first supermarket to earn the designation.
Wal-Mart has made a commitment to reduce overall GHG emissions by 20 percent over the next eight years and set a long-term corporate goal to purchase 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources, Juice Energy said. Wal-Mart has also set a goal to increase fuel efficiency of its fleet by 25 percent over the next three years and is currently the largest single purchaser of 100 percent organic cotton products.
Juice Energy said Target became a certified organic produce retailer late last year and now offers more than 500 choices of organic certified food. Target also reduces waste through food-donation programs, giving away nearly 7 million pounds of food last year. The retailer also has four buildings in California using on-site solar electricity, with systems under development at 14 additional stores.