SmartWay* Transport Partnership U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PKOTECTION AGENCY PARTNER CASE STUDY ALTERNATIVE FUEL - BIODIESEL FOODS Company Profile Distribution Location: Munster, Indiana Point of Contact: Carl Lisek, SmartWay Transport Partnership Representative Phone: 630-207-1760, email: legacyenv@comcast.net Number of Employees: 95 Number of Trailers: 20 Strategy Category: Alternative Fuel Number of Power Units: 20 Founded in 1980 as one small store in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market is now comprised of 180 stores in North America and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods is a major retailer of organic and natural food products. This year, the company is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Project Description In 2005, Whole Foods Market, Mid-West Distribution (MWD) became a member of the Smartway Transport Partnership. Whole Foods is dedicated to employing sustainable business practices and improving the efficiency of its operations. "Vision becomes a reality through the combination of thoughts, words, and actions. Our participation in SmartWay provides a framework to implement strategies and projects to achieve the environmental vision of Whole Foods Market," notes Steve Burse, Whole Foods MWD Facility Team Leader. Whole Foods Market MWD has begun making the switch to B20, the most common blend of biodiesel, which is made up of 80 percent petroleum diesel and 20 percent biodiesel. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from domestically grown crops, such as soybeans and mustard seed. Biodiesel can also be produced from recycled cooking grease. Whole Foods Market MWD has implemented a pilot program using three trucks fueled with B20. Biodiesel provides higher lubricity and several other advantages, including longer equipment life, lower maintenance costs, less equipment downtime, and protection against fuel injector and injection pump failure. Using biodiesel (B20) reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 15%. Biodiesel also produces fewer particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide emissions. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency • Office of Transportation & Air Quality • EPA420-F-06-014 • SmartWay Transport Partnership Mail Code 6406J • Ariel Rios Bldg. • 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW • Washington, DC 20460 -or- NVFEL • 2000 Traverwood Dr. • Ann Arbor Ml 48105 • (734) 214-4052 • www.epa.gov/smartway ------- |