<p><strong>Austin, Texas</strong><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Whole Foods Market has published its "green" philosophy. The company posted its first annual Green Mission report online, providing status updates while also recognizing standards and milestones in the grocer’s long-standing dedication to environmental stewardship, according to a press release. The 2012 Green Mission Report is available through the company's website and outlines Whole Foods Market’s environmentally friendly efforts, with a focus on eleven key corporate, product and community-focused initiatives. Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, stated, “Caring for our communities and our environment is part of our core purpose as a company and this report shines a light on some of the ways our green practices help contribute to making the world a better place."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> One of the key features is that Whole Foods Market is the first national retailer to discontinue the sale of red-rated seafood. The ratings have been assigned by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s or Blue Ocean Institute. Also, the company revealed that one of its goals is to reduce energy usage by 25 percent per square foot by 2015. In 2011, the numbers showed that electricity use had already been reduced by six percent. In addition, forty Whole Foods Market stores are Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design or Green Globes certified, registered or in development. The company introduced Eco-Scale in 2011, a system that rates cleaning products and offers customers information to make informed choices about ingredients used in those products. Also, Whole Foods Market has invested more than $6 million in wind renewable energy certificates.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Kathy Loftus, global leader of sustainable engineering and energy management for Whole Foods Market, “If our shoppers, members of our communities, vendor partners or shareholders ever wonder about what kinds of initiatives we are working on as part of our everyday commitment to environmentalism, they can get a taste by perusing this report.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> www.wholefoodsmarket.com/greenmission.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
