Going Green
Atkins Has Added More Energy Saving Practices to Help Our Earth
Thanks to our employees and customers, we strive to practice recycling, using renewable energy, composting, and buying locally.
Atkins Farms – Green Practices
A tour of Atkins Farms Store will illustrate these practices:
We have converted over 400 of our store light bulbs from old halogen bulbs using 50-75 watts to LED bulbs that use only 13-18 watts and other halogen lighting switched over to low wattage fluorescent on the main floor, as well as produce, meat, and deli coolers, and the dock and hallways. We also have motion sensor lights in our warehouse that shut down when the area is not in use.
We purchased and installed a Bace Model V63 HD Vertical Baler with which we bale all of our clean cardboard for recycling. We are happy to see our cardboard trucked away in bales that we will be compensated for rather than paying to have it hauled away.
Eighty percent of our organic waste continues to go to a pig farm in Greenfield where it is composted.
We have installed a UtiliGuard Power Quality System that is a transient voltage surge suppression system which reduces our equipment maintenance costs and helps to extend the life of the equipment as well as reducing our energy consumption.
When adding our new warehouse (to replace the one we lost across the street), we re-designed the coolers to include a system that uses heat generated from the refrigeration rack to heat our hot water.
High efficiency fan motors were installed in the new produce and meat cooler and deli freezer to reduce electricity use.
Timers and photocells were installed on new parking lot lights to minimize time that they are on.
In all of our kitchen cleaning sinks (bakery, deli, meat, produce) we replaced low-flow faucets with high velocity water sprayers.
All non-deposit cans, bottles, plastic are recycled through the Town Landfill
All clean produce boxes from local farms are returned to farmers for reuse. Banana boxes and other crates that come from the Boston produce market are given or sold to local farmers or used to package store product.
Local reusable glass bottle milk is sold, and sales continue to increase.
All flower boxes are reused for future flower, wedding, funeral deliveries.
All packaging from outside deliveries (bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts, paper, foam, etc.,) are collected throughout the year, and then reused during the busy holiday shipping season.
All of our local apples are stored in wood or plastic bins.
Locally grown, seasonal produce is made available to our customers - if it is grown locally, we carry it
Local made goods are sold year round, supporting local businesses – ranging from maple syrup, honey, cheese, bread, milk, ice cream. Gifts, and dog treats to name a few
Utilizing paper bags at our check outs and encouraging customers to 'bring your own bags'
Donating food to local food pantries
Our most recent delivery van purchase was a 4 cylinder much improved MPG, resulting in less fuel usage
Ask at to be added to our "Green Receipt" program and have your receipts emailed to you
Storewide transition is now underway to move from petroleum-based to corn-based plastics
We continue to search out ways to improve our green initiative
