Meijer announced that it operates what is said to be one of the largest all-clean diesel fleets in North America.

As part of its ongoing green initiatives, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer’s fleet utilized innovative technology to improve fuel efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint by nearly 60% since it first began implementing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 near-zero emissions standards three years ago.

“This is an extremely rewarding achievement that truly speaks to our commitment to the environment,” says Rick Keyes, executive vice president of supply chain operations and manufacturing. “Not only are we integrating cutting-edge technology into our business, [but] we’re also working under the philosophy that to be a good company, we must be a good neighbor.”

The Meijer fleet is said to be the first in North America to implement the federal clean emissions standards that feature near-zero emissions technology, and today, the retailer’s fleet of 170 semi-trucks meets or exceeds those stringent requirements.

As a result of that commitment, the Meijer fleet realized:

• A 47% reduction in particulate matter.

• A 55% reduction in—or 525 U.S. tons of—nitrogen oxide.

• A 3% reduction in—or 9,300 U.S. tons of—carbon dioxide.

• A 5% increase in fuel economy, saving 105,570 gallons of fuel each year. In five years, that equals a savings of 527,850 gallons of fuel—or 52,785 barrels of oil.

In fact, it takes 47 of the new 2010 compliant trucks to equal the same emissions as one of the older trucks they replaced, says David Hoover, director of outbound logistics.

“I’m very pleased to say that Meijer is able to cut that down and continue to be environmentally conscious,” Hoover says. “The impact is tremendous because the Meijer fleet makes deliveries to our stores 26 times each week.”

The Meijer fleet is comprised of 170 Freightliner Cascadia trucks that are equipped with new fuel-efficient, reduced-emissions engines. They feature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology that treats nitrogen oxides emissions downstream in the exhaust, so the engine can be tuned to run more efficiently and economically. SCR technology consists of an after-treatment catalyst system that allows engine exhaust to be treated with a non-hazardous fluid known as diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) that reduces harmful nitrogen oxides into simple nitrogen and water.