MILL VALLEY, Calif.—The North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC), a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit working to advance climate-friendly natural refrigerants in supermarkets, welcomes Zero Zone to the Premium Membership group as a Gold-level member. Zero Zone is a leading manufacturer of refrigerated display cases and commercial refrigeration systems for supermarkets, drug, dollar and convenience stores.
“As a longstanding NASRC member, Zero Zone’s upgrade to a premium membership signals their steadfast commitment to advancing natural refrigerants and driving progress for the industry,” says Danielle Wright, executive director of NASRC. “We’re excited to continue our partnership in the new year and are grateful for the example they are setting with this step.”
Based in North Prairie, Wisconsin, Zero Zone manufactures both commercial and industrial systems, serving supermarkets to convenience stores to cold storage facilities and more. The company’s product offerings feature CO2 and ammonia-based natural refrigeration technologies to help customers meet their sustainability goals. Additionally, to help prepare the industry for the transition to climate-friendly refrigerants, Zero Zone offers monthly training for customers and contractors at their Ramsey, Minnesota facility.
“Zero Zone is committed to advancing sustainable refrigeration technologies and supporting efforts to enhance the industry,” said Dan O’Brien, President of Zero Zone. “We aim to help guide customers as they develop solutions tailored to their stores to meet the AIM Act requirements and use our expertise and experience to be a partner throughout their transition. We are pleased to support NASRC with this upgraded membership as their mission aligns with our company values of environmental stewardship and innovation and their efforts to train and inform the industry complement the needs we see from our customers.”
Hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants (HFCs) are super-polluting greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere at a rate thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide (CO2). Although regulations seeking to reduce HFC use in the US have lagged behind the rest of the world, 2022 marked the start of new federal and state rules that are helping drive the transition from these legacy refrigerants.
Natural refrigerants like CO2, ammonia and propane have zero or near-zero global warming potential, making them climate-friendly and future-proof natural alternatives to HFCs. However, unique market challenges—such as upfront cost premiums, service readiness and technology availability—have prevented US supermarkets from widescale adoption of natural refrigerants.
By working with stakeholders from virtually every sector of the grocery refrigeration industry, NASRC is leading efforts to accelerate the transition to natural refrigerants as a solution to these increases in regulatory pressures. Its membership network represents over 55,000 US food retail locations, including service contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, consultants, engineering firms, trade associations, distributors and nonprofits.
About the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council
The North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC) is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit working to advance climate-friendly natural refrigerants and reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by traditional HFC refrigerants. We collaborate with stakeholders from across the industry, including over 55,000 food retail locations, to eliminate the barriers to natural refrigerants in supermarkets. For more information, visit nasrc.org, LinkedIn, Instagram, X and YouTube.
About Zero Zone
Established in 1961, Zero Zone is a leading manufacturer of refrigerated display cases and commercial refrigeration systems for supermarkets, drug, dollar, and convenience stores. With display case plants in North Prairie and Waukesha, WI and refrigeration systems plants in Ramsey, MN, and Dyersville, IA, Zero Zone also manufactures industrial refrigeration systems for cold storage, food processing, and ice arenas. For more information, visit zero-zone.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.