Graves’ Shop ‘n Save certified as Environmental Leader

Graves’ Shop ‘n Save

certified as Environmental Leader

By Scott Mitchell Johnson

Staff Writer

    PRESQUE ISLE — Graves’ Shop ‘n Save in Presque Isle was recently recognized by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for its voluntary effort to reduce the impact the store has on the environment.

Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
    ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER  — Graves’ Shop ‘n Save in Presque Isle was recently certified by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection as an Environmental Leader for its voluntary effort to reduce the impact the store has on the environment. Pictured with a flag noting the accomplishment are, from left, front row: Nick Archer, DEP’s northern Maine regional director; Bob Graves Jr., store co-owner; and Don Samiya, store manager. Back row: Ryan Graves, assistant manager; Troy Shaw, assistant customer service manager; Jim McKenney, president of the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce; Adam Umphrey, meat manager; Laurie Kenney, produce manager; Penny Greene, deli manager; Maurice McCrum, maintenance, and Greg Graves, store co-owner.

    Graves’ Shop ‘n Save, as well as Paradis Shop ‘n Save in Houlton, were certified by the department as Environmental Leaders, joining Edwards’ Family Shop ’n Saves in Unity and Dover-Foxcroft as the only state certified green grocers north of Waterville.

    The Environmental Leader program is a self-guided process offered by the state as part of its pollution prevention efforts that encourage lodging facilities, restaurants and grocers to implement selected improvement initiatives from those offered in the department-developed workbook to achieve points toward certification. Grocers can earn points for practices such as adopting and posting an environmental policy, selling a percentage of local and/or organic foods, installing energy-efficient refrigeration equipment, having a posted anti-idle policy in delivery bays, and educating patrons about the store’s green initiatives.

    Businesses submit their completed workbook to DEP for review and certification approval, and must increase their point total to be recertified after two years.

    As businesses work through the process, staff from the department’s Office of Assistance and DEP’s regional directors — including Northern Maine Regional Director Nick Archer — provide free technical assistance to help participants implement sustainable practices, save money and reduce their environmental impact.

    “Businesses like Graves’ Shop ‘n Save have to really want to do this; we give them guidelines and technical assistance, but they actually do the on-ground work … working in areas of energy efficiency, removal of Styrofoam containers for take-outs, storm water on the parking lot, and a number of other things to help their store be environmentally efficient,” said Archer.

    “We hope other businesses will follow Graves’ example,” he said. “We’ll be looking at all the other grocery stores, hotels and restaurants that might want to get involved in the Environmental Leader program. The biggest benefit to doing this is to Maine’s environment. If you’re using less energy, are throwing away fewer things, are buying local to sell local, it’s less of an impact on the environment, so it’s a win-win for everybody.”

    Graves’ Shop ’n Save sells local and organic food and hosts a local vendor day each fall to showcase area growers, has new energy-efficient LED lighting and compressors in the refrigeration units, uses environmentally preferable cleaning chemicals, and has eliminated Styrofoam packaging for to-go orders.

    “We had pretty strict guidelines to go by,” said Bob Graves Jr., co-owner of Graves’ Shop ‘n Save. “It’s taken us a little over a year — from start to finish — to get the work done. When the idea to do this first came up, our question was, ‘Why not?’ The energy-efficient lighting that we installed and the new compressor system we put in our refrigerated cases — in addition to the green part of it — were only going to save us money in the long run.”

    Graves said installing the new compressors was about a $250,000 project.

    “The compressors control all of our frozen food and refrigerated cases, and we project that’s going to be a six-year payback. The $30,000 energy-efficient lighting project that we did a couple years ago was projected to be a 30-month payback; it was actually a two-month payback,” he said. “The financial part of it is an added benefit to the green part of it.

    “People are more conscious of going green and there was really no reason for us not to do it,” said Graves. “It’s going to help us environmentally, it’s going to help our store, it’s going to help our customers be more aware of what’s going on, and the checkpoints recommended by the DEP made sense for us to do. It was really a no-brainer.”

    In addition to considerable cost savings, businesses are also encouraged to participate by recognition within store signage and marketing materials and by research that shows environmental designations are attractive to customers.

    “We are so proud of our Environmental Leader program because it engages businesses in DEP’s core priority of protecting our natural resources while ensuring a vibrant and sustainable economy,” said DEP Commissioner Pattie Aho in a press release. “Grocers who participate are seeing significant energy cost savings that are leading to increased profitably, allowing them to invest in infrastructure improvements and expansion of their workforce. And by selling locally-sourced food, they are also helping to grow the businesses of those local producers, too. This program is yet another example of what is good for the environment being what is good for the economy.”

    For more information about the Environmental Leader certification program and a complete list of participants, log onto www.maine.gov/dep/assistance or contact DEP’s Office of Assistance at (800) 789-9802.