“Don’t be afraid to try new things.”
That’s the mantra of Michael Scott, specialty cheese merchandiser for Market of Choice, who finds himself trying new roles – in addition to new cheeses – at work these days.
When Market of Choice recently stopped using plastic bags, Michael became the store’s official spokesperson on sustainability. That role has since grown to include new responsibilities that are continually evolving along with the store’s commitment to being “green.”
Other green practices at Market of Choice include: buying local, encouraging customers to reuse and reduce, buying recyclable packing, providing employees with a quality work environment, composting organic waste onsite, giving excess perishables to local food programs and investing in high-tech refrigeration.
“In the grocery business, one of the biggest costs is keeping the coolers running,” says Michael.
According to the Market of Choice case study by Portland-based Better Bricks, an energy managment services firm, “refrigeration accounts for about half the electrical energy use in a typical grocery store in the Northwest.”
So the biggest strategic impact on the grocer’s Willamette store energy management was a 2006 solar panel installation of 31 KW, which was recently upgraded in the fall of 2008 to generate triple the energy capacity.
To date, their solar system has generated enough energy to power 1,341 homes in Eugene for one day. It also preserved 57 trees, saved 18 tons of CO2, generated power for 144 light bulbs for one whole year, and saved 2,016 gallons of gas.
“In the course of the system’s life (35 years), the array will generate enough electricity to offset 3,439 tons of CO2, 10,316 trees, 355,305 gallons of gasoline, or 25 acres of forest,” according to Eugene-based Advanced Energy Systems, solar integrator for the Market of Choice installation.
It is estimated by Better Bricks that the variety of energy management strategies utilized by Market of Choice reduced their energy consumption by 15 to 20 percent overall.
A sound energy management strategy incorporates a number of factors ranging from technology and education to investment, planning, and maintenance. The choice to make a profound difference, however, also includes the ability to adopt a new mindset and support cultural changes.
“My company is a good representation of best sustainable practices in our community,” says Michael, who now also wears the hat of Sustainability Coordinator. “And I feel proud to represent what we’re doing.”
He also agrees that “green” is even better when it’s not on cheese.
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