Tags: Community, Green, Environment, Compost, Recycle, Charge, Solar

BY THE NUMBERS - Big Y's GREEN INITIATIVE

At Big Y, Beyond providing great quality, great prices and great customer service, we also try to be smart about the resources we use, how much energy we consume and how we handle whatever waste we create. While we've always been mindful, over the past few years we've made a massive company-wide effort to be as earth-friendly as we can. Over the past three years we've reduced our total consumption By more than 5,000,000 Kwh our efforts have really paid off.

Cartoon Recycling Truck

WE RECYCLE

If it can be recycled, we recycle it
meaning it doesn t end up in landfills.
How much?

  • 350 tons of plastic bags and wrappings
  • 1,350 tons of cardboard and paper
  • 1 billion bottles and cans

Recycling Trash Cans

WE COMPOST

All of our stores in Massachusetts and nine of our stores in Connecticut can convert food waste into high-nutrition fertilizer. How much?

  • 2,500 tons of food waste is composted annually

Solar Panels & the Sun

WE SHINE

We've installed roof-mounted solar photovoltaic systems at the Big Y Support Center & at our stores in Stafford Springs, CT & Lee & Franklin, MA. We now have more than 1.25 MW of solar energy offsetting our electrical consumption. Over the last three years, those solar arrays have generated almost 3,000,000 kWh of clean energy.

Car & Charging Station

WE CHARGE

Our Northampton, Franklin, Old Saybrook, Greenfield, Walpole and Lee, Mass., locations offer free charging stations for our customers who drive electric vehicles.

Air Conditioner

WE COOL SMARTER

All of our coolers and freezers have been made more energy efficient. How?

  • Most are lit by energy-efficient LEDs
  • All of our stores now use Electronically

Commutated Motors in their coolers and freezers, which use 50% less energy than traditional motors

Cartoons of Store Front

WE'RE EFFICIENT

Across all of our stores, we employ many different energy-saving measures. How efficient are we? Each new store saves more than: 800,000 kWh every year.

That is the equivalent of: • 1,283 barrels of oil • the electrical usage of 79 homes • 116 cars taken off the road

Car Charging Station

Car Charging Stations

We provide ChargePoint EV Stations for our customers to charge their electric cars while they shop.

Reusable Bags

Tips for Cleaning Your Reusable Bags

To prevent cross-contamination and reduce risk for foodborne illness, here are tips to ensure your bags stay germ free.