Raley’s honored as top environmentally conscientious businesses

West Sacramento, Calif.- Raley’s took top honors, named among the area’s most environmentally conscientious businesses by the Business Environmental Resource Center (BERC) for running the world’s cleanest burning Class 8 diesel trucks. Raley’s was recognized for raising its hand to test a new exhaust filter system that will help even old trucks burn cleaner and generate fewer emissions.

Raley’s Distribution Center voluntarily retrofitted 20 trucks with a new exhaust filter system for a 1,000-hour test in partnership with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) and the Sacramento Emergency Clean Air and Transportation program (SECAT). As the trucks went about their daily routes, hauling groceries to Northern California stores, the study found the new filter system reduced smog-forming emissions by between 70 and 80 percent and eliminated the diesel soot that generates black exhaust clouds.

The study passed the SMAQMD testing phase and will now move on to the California Air Resources Board, where, if adopted, will generate new statewide standards mandating the filters in all truck fleets that do not currently meet air emission requirements.

Even though Raley’s does not have a need for this particular technology, running newer trucks that meet all current air emission requirements, it volunteered to run the test on some older trucks to help make an impact on reducing air emissions on the roadways, said Duane O¹Donnell, BERC Division Supervisor. For this, they were chosen as one of eight Sacramento Sustainable Business of the Year awardees.

Raley’s is an industry leader in testing and implementing efficient technology companywide, and over the years has reached out to partner with agencies that share the goal to reduce environmental impact.

We are proud to receive this honor. At Raley¹s Family of Fine Stores, we feel very strongly that we have an important responsibility to be exceptionally good stewards of our earth, and to be good partners with our governmental agencies charged with the oversight of the environment, said Bill Coyne, Raley’s President & CEO.