PFMA’s Sustainability Committee held its quarterly meeting virtually in October, with a featured discussion on the concept of decarbonization led by Therm Solutions, Inc. a PFMA associate member that assists food retailers in capitalizing on climate conscious decisions.
Therm makes decarbonization accessible to food companies by handling the complexities of carbon credit generation & verification. At its core, the company helps grocery stores earn carbon credits through initiatives like food waste reduction, optimizing refrigeration systems, and taking advantage of regional incentives.
In the case of food waste diversion, which many food retailers already do, reductions in food waste translate into a quantifiable decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by tracking and verifying the amount of edible food diverted from landfills to donation centers. This avoided emission is then converted into carbon credits, which can be sold to generate revenue that offsets the costs of implementing food waste reduction programs.
On the refrigerant side, revenue can similarly be generated by selling the credits earned through efforts like leak detection, climate-friendly retrofits and upgrades, and safe disposal of old refrigerant.
Therm also assists in identifying regional incentives available for green initiatives like lighting refits, HVAC upgrades, and energy management.
Committee members also discussed several legislative proposals dealing with sustainability that will likely be revisited in the 2025-26 legislative session.
After nearly two years of development, legislation was introduced in October that would establish a statewide prohibition on single-use plastic in Pennsylvania. The bill, introduced by Rep. Maureen Madden (D-Monroe) as HB 2624 and titled the Retail Establishment Bag Prohibition Act, resembles many of the local ordinances increasingly common through Pennsylvania. It provides that a retail establishment may not provide a single-use plastic bag or a paper bag other than a recycled paper bag to a customer at the retail establishment or through a delivery. Though the bill will expire at the end of 2024, it is anticipated that Rep. Madden will reintroduce the bill early in 2025 in the new session. PFMA intends to engage with Rep. Madden on this bill and continue to provide input as it is developed.
Separately, the committee reviewed amendments to legislation by Sen. Gene Yaw, a Republican from Lycoming County who chairs the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, that would prohibit the use of PFAS in firefighting foam.
That bill, SB 144, was initially laid out to prohibit the use of Class-B firefighting foam containing added PFAS chemicals in training exercises while allowing for their continued sale and use against real-world fires. That language passed the Senate by a vote of 36-14 in March of 2023, and sat dormant in the House until October of 2024, when it was amended in the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee with language that may impact the use of certain substances in fueling station fire suppression systems.
Specifically, the amended language would prohibit the sale/distribution of Class B firefighting foam that contains an intentionally added PFAS chemical beginning January 2026, and prohibit its use entirely beginning January 2027.
This language was notable particularly for members with fuel stations that have fire suppression systems that would use Class-B foam. The bill effectively stalled as session neared its conclusion this fall, but it is something PFMA has expressed concerns about and will monitor closely in the new year.
If you missed the meeting live, a recording is available for members on pfma.org ■
