ATLANTA -- In partnership with GreenPrint, reduced-emissions fuel programs are launching at two retailers this spring, including what is said to be a first-of-its-kind initiative for the grocery industry.
C-Store Initiative
In June, convenience-store retailer SpeedyQ Markets and GreenPrint will introduce Drive, a reduced-emissions program, to all 19 of its locations in east Michigan. GreenPrint will calculate SpeedyQ Market customers’ tailpipe emissions on all gasoline grades and then invest in certified carbon-offset projects such as tree plantings and renewable energy development on behalf of the c-store chain.
“We pride ourselves on being active members of the community as all SpeedyQ Market locations are locally owned and operated, so we’re focused on our communities and how best to support and give back to them,” said Kyle Lawrence, president of SpeedyQ Markets, a family-owned and -operated chain based in Kimball, Mich. “It’s important we continue to look for ways to partner with our guests and communities to help, and Drive allows us to do that.”
Besides investing in tailpipe emission offsets through its Drive program, SpeedyQ will partner with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 5,000 trees in Michigan and participate in volunteer and education projects in the state.
A Grocery First
Meanwhile, in its first partnership with a grocery retailer, GreenPrint is launching a reduced-emissions fuel program with Giant Martin's at its Giant Food Stores and Martin’s Food Markets. The program, which debuts May 15, will calculate the tailpipe emissions of fuel customers at the grocery retailer’s 98 fuel sites and then invest in carbon-reduction projects to offset up to 30% of them. These projects can include tree plantings or creating greenscapes in the stores’ communities.
Giant Martin's and GreenPrint will also partner with the Arbor Day Foundation this May to plant 100,000 trees in the retailer’s Mid-Atlantic footprint to help kick off the new program.
“We believe it is our responsibility to make a positive difference in the environment because it is the right thing to do, and we think the GreenPrint model is innovative, and frankly, pretty cool,” said Manuel Haro, vice president of strategy for Giant Martin's, a subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize based in Carlisle, Pa. “We see this as a game-changing program where we can directly address climate change as it is harmful to the local food system. Our ultimate goal is to be part of the solution that allows us to feed and bring families together for many years to come.”
GreenPrint will provide Giant Martin's with real-time audited reporting to help it track carbon emissions, offsets purchased and retired, and project investments. The grocery retailer, which has about 200 locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, has launched other sustainability initiatives, including an effort to divert 90% of its waste from landfills by 2020.
Atlanta-based GreenPrint’s programs worldwide help reduce emissions on almost 500 million gallons of fuel each year at hundreds of retail sites and 80,000 corporate and municipal fleets in 11 countries. In 2018, GreenPrint has also launched reduced-emissions programs with Tri-Star Energy and Home Service Oil.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.