<p><strong>Austin, TX</strong><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Whole Foods Market has been ranked on Newsweek's top 10 list of 'Greenest Retail Companies. This is the fourth year in a row that the company has recieved the award. Whole Foods Market was praised for its Local Producer Loan Program, which provides small, low-interest loans to local food producers. In addition to acknowledgement for its ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility. The company has provided nearly $8 million in loans to date.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> “Our core value of ‘Caring about our Communities and our Environment’ has been propelling us to continuously innovate and achieve in all areas of sustainability, not simply what is fashionably ‘green,’” said Kathy Loftus, global leader of sustainable engineering and energy management for Whole Foods Market. “We know that our customers, Team Members and all of our stakeholders depend on this commitment.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> The Newsweek Green Rankings assess the green performance of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States and as well as internationally.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> When compared to a 2008 baseline, Whole Foods Market has reduced its electricity use by 7 percent per square foot. This was achieved through smarter design and materials usage in new stores and energy retrofits in existing locations. The ranking also cites waste generation and disposal a way for retailers to make an impact. Some Whole Foods Market stores have achieved a 90 percent waste diversion rate at this time, while several others consistently divert more than 80 percent of their waste stream from landfills.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/about-our-products" target="_new"> Whole Foods Market </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
