From a news release issued by Better Environmental Solutions and the Wisconsin Grocers Association:
Tomah, WI – With state and world leaders gathered in Copenhagen to talk about climate change, Burnstad’s European Market is one of the first grocery stores in the state to achieve the ‘Green Grocer’ certification, which assists grocery stores in achieving energy savings, sustainability and environmental standards.
“Burnstad’s Tomah European Market and the WGA’s Green Grocer Program show that businesses can reduce their costs, emissions and improve service with energy efficiency,” said Governor Jim Doyle. “This shows one concrete way for Wisconsin to be a leader to create green jobs and a green economy.”
The WGA Green Grocer Program recently won the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency.
Burnstad’s Market upgraded their lighting and refrigerator compressor efficiency saving $17,703 and 228,446 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. This is enough electricity to power 21 homes and the equivalent to taking 31 cars off the road. They will reduce CO2 emissions by 408,795 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions next year. Burnstad’s received a DOE Rebuild Grant to help upgrade food service equipment with Energy Star appliances.
“We are pleased to be one of the first grocery stores in the Wisconsin to be Green Grocer certified,” said Kent Burnstad, chair of Burnstad’s Markets. “We took many steps like more efficient refrigerators, lights, and motors to save energy and reduce our energy bills and carbon emissions. We save money that we can pass onto our customers and pass a better community onto our children.”
Offered by the Wisconsin Grocers Association (WGA) to its members, the program is administered by Better Environmental Solutions, a Madison, Wisconsin-based environmental consulting firm. ‘Green Grocers’ also received energy efficiency and conservation programming support from Wisconsin Power and Light (WPL), an Alliant Energy company. The seven Green Grocer stores taking action will reduce 3,986,000 pounds of CO2 emissions and save 2,389,010 kilowatt hours of electricity next year, equal to taking 328 cars off the road.