WFM Whole Foods Market, Inc.

Whole Foods Market Chooses WISErg Harvester(TM) Technology to Reduce Food Scraps at Stores in Washington State

BELLEVUE, WA and REDMOND, WA--(Marketwired - Apr 22, 2014) - Whole Foods Market Bellevue and WISErg Corporation, a bio-clean technology company that converts food scraps into organic fertilizer for sale to farmers and consumers, today announced an agreement to deploy the WISErg Harvester unit at Whole Foods Market Bellevue. The installation will be completed in May. 

The Harvester unit will enable Whole Foods Market Bellevue to reduce food waste in a sustainable way, and provide data reports to better manage perishable inventory and improve their bottom line. The Harvester deployment aligns with Whole Foods Market's core mission to advance environmental stewardship and is part of a larger organic and sustainability initiative. In addition to recycling food scraps, reducing waste and decreasing shrinkage, Whole Foods Market Bellevue will sell WISErganic organic liquid fertilizer.

"Our partnership with WISErg is another example of our commitment to the community and the environment," said Dena Hastings, Regional Green Mission Specialist for Whole Foods Market. "We can help to create a virtuous circle of food consumption and production, with nearby growers using organic fertilizer made from food scraps that originate in our store."

By identifying the sources of waste, the Harvester not only gives Whole Foods Market a more sustainable solution for dealing with their food scraps but also a community-friendly solution that minimizes odor and noise commonly associated with compost removal services. The Harvester captures data about the sources of food scraps and environmental conditions that grocers analyze to make more informed inventory management decisions. Stores receive regular usage and analytical reports -- providing key insights used to reduce unnecessary inventory loss. The highly secure reporting system can also include multi-store reporting capability. For servicing, the Harvester units are capable of real-time reporting and automatic transmission of diagnostic information, allowing WISErg to dynamically schedule servicing based on usage, while also providing remote monitoring to ensure healthy system operations.

"Whole Foods Market and WISErg are both committed to sustainable business practices within our local communities that are also economically viable," said Larry LeSueur, CEO, WISErg. "With a customer base that cares deeply about the sources of the food they buy, Whole Foods Market can be great ambassadors nationwide for the Harvester technology. We're thrilled to have them as a customer."

The Harvester offers a uniquely scalable solution that can cost-effectively address the food scrap volumes of grocers of all sizes, from small independents to national brands. In addition to Whole Foods Market, the Harvester is currently deployed at a number of regional independent grocers in Washington State.

About Whole Foods Market, Inc. Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com) (NASDAQ: WFM), is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America's first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named "America's Healthiest Grocery Store" by Health magazine. The company's motto, "Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet"™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, Team Member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to the company's more than 78,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in America by FORTUNE magazine for 15 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2013, the company had sales of $12.9 billion and currently has more than 360 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

About WISErg Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, WISErg is a privately held bio-clean technology company which converts food scraps from sources like grocery stores and restaurants into valuable, organic fertilizer. The company utilizes a patent-pending, oxidative conversion technology to intercept nutrients from food scraps before they become waste. Visit www.wiserg.com.

Contact: Jeff Denenholz VOXUS, Inc. 206-437-9810 Email Contact