by Shane Henson — February 29, 2012—American fans of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream will soon be able to get their favorite flavors out of climate-friendly ice cream freezer cabinets instead of those typically seen in supermarkets, cafeterias and other foodservice facilities. The popular maker of super-premium ice cream and ice cream novelties, along with Unilever, an international company with more than 400 brands focused on health and wellbeing, recently announced that they will roll out the freezer cabinets in the United States in 2012.
According to Ben & Jerry’s, the cabinets will use at least 10 percent less energy and replace harmful “F” gas coolants with hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants. The new freezers will be identified with “greener freezer” stickers in demonstration of Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever’s environmental commitment to help protect the planet.
“Over the last decade, Unilever has been at the forefront of sustainable innovation, significantly reducing the environmental impact of our ice cream cabinets around the world,” said Kees Kruythoff, head of Unilever North America. “Introduction of these more environmentally friendly cabinets in the U.S. is a critical advancement for the region.”
The greener freezer program, initiated by Ben & Jerry’s in the fall of 2008, relied heavily on Unilever’s global HC refrigeration expertise. The undertaking was supported by a collaborative concern to address environmental impact by both organizations, says Ben & Jerry’s leadership. After four years of trials and coordination, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently approved the technology behind the hydrocarbon freezer cabinets for use in the United States, which Unilever has used for several years across Europe and Asia. In 2011 alone, Unilever rolled out 22,000 climate-friendly freezers in non-U.S. markets, resulting in a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 12,000 tons of CO2.
“It’s a great day when Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever’s efforts to introduce innovative technology positively impacts the environment,” said Jostein Solheim, CEO of Ben & Jerry’s. “Since 2008, we have worked alongside Greenpeace in pursuit of a more responsible freezer for the U.S. For us, this sweet success is an environmental victory.”
