WILLIAMSVILLE, New York
,
April 10, 2023
(press release)
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As we edge closer to celebrating another Earth Day here at Tops we are excited to announce the advances we continue to make not only in our day to day efforts to adopt practices that help protect our environment, but also efforts that will make a lifelong impact. Tops prides itself on working with partners who share the same commitment to environmental practices so it was a no brainer when Tops had the opportunity to employ BioFlex™ bags instead of traditional plastic bags for its potatoes. “BioFlex™ ticked all the boxes for us” said Jeff Cady, director produce and floral for Tops Friendly Markets. “A quality product solution that is engineered to break down in landfills all while diverting greenhouse gas emissions. A win-win.” BioFlex™ is a sustainable technology that increases the natural microbial activity in modern landfills and contributes 19 times more energy than that of regular plastic. The packaging is FDA compliant and safe for food contact. Furthermore, BioFlex™ packaging can be designed to maintain recyclability. “This new packaging is 100% recyclable and also biodegrades in landfills and converts into renewable methane gas,” said president, David Masser of Sterman Masser, Inc. “Tops was the first retail chain to adopt this technology and has the most distribution to date.” Kinder Way to Clean When you think earth day you think about what changes you can make to your daily routine to help mother earth. Recycling your plastic bottles and newspapers, but did you stop and think about the cleaning products you’re using also helping in these efforts? Tops proudly provides you with products with mother nature in mind year round! Tops Full Circle line of products are non-toxic, plant-based, and free of dyes and fragrances which are not only better for you and your family but the environment. From detergent and ecofriendly paper towels, to all purpose cleaning sprays and bath tissue, a kinder way to clean-is simply that. EV is the Way to Be Tops was excited to bring our customers the first high-speed electric vehicle charging hub, located at our LaGrangeville, NY Tops thanks to a collaboration with EVOLVE NY and the New York Power Authority, but we continue to look ahead! Tops is involved in talks with Tesla and other vendors and anticipates adding new EV charging stations in Erie, Livingston, and Cattaraugus Counties. Currently EV–Charging stations are also available not only in LaGrangeville but also Williamsville, Rhinebeck, and New Paltz, NY “Tops EV charging stations are environmentally conscious and convenient and tie perfectly into Tops' sustainability efforts and mission, reducing environmental waste and energy consumption all while providing our customers with sustainably sourced, high-quality products,” said Kathy Sautter, public and media relations manager for Tops. Let the Sunshine In 2022 Tops continued to increase its use of solar energy by partnering with EDP Renewables to provide solar power to even more of our stores. Together with Convergent Power + Energy and now EDP, 82 stores will have energy saving solar power. Tops originally teamed up with Convergent in 2021, the most dependable provider of energy storage solutions in North America, to deliver more renewable energy to upstate New Yorkers in the form of community solar paired with battery storage. The partnership allows Tops stores to be powered by solar farms, which reduces the stores’ carbon footprint. The solar-plus-storage projects developed by Convergent provide Tops and upstate New Yorkers access to solar energy whether or not the sun is shining and reduce the state’s reliance on power plants during peak demand hours. “Convergent and EDP are dedicated to mitigating the impact of a warming planet on current and future generations by advancing the clean energy transition, so expanding a partnership of this nature seemed only fitting,” stated Sautter. Running on Clean In 2022 Tops further enhanced its fleet of trucks by converting over to 48 new CNG trucks with impressive sustainability benefits. Fueled with clean burning natural gas, opposed to diesel fuel, these new trucks will eliminate 3,246 MT of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by fueling 1,000,000 DGEs of RNG. To put that into perspective that is equivalent to eliminating 33,389,607 miles driven by a passenger vehicle, 502,034 incandescent lamps switched to LED’s or 563,607 trash bags of waste recycled instead of being placed in a landfill. “Our ongoing commitment to sustainability is met with enthusiasm and resolve every day, as we work to ensure we leave our communities—and our planet—better for the next generation,” said John Persons, president, Tops Friendly Markets. “We are excited to be working with so many business partners whose values align with our environmental conservation vision To learn more about all of Tops sustainability efforts visit https://www.topsmarkets.com/sustainability ### About Tops Friendly Markets Based in Williamsville, NY, Tops Markets currently operates 149 grocery stores in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, including five that are run by franchisees. As the largest private, for-profit employer in Western New York, with over 14,000 associates, the company is dedicated to providing sustainably sourced, high-quality products, while helping its communities flourish via support for programs that eradicate hunger and disease, educate youth and reduce environmental waste and energy consumption. For more information, visit www.topsmarkets.com.
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