Sustainable Business - Sustainability Leaders Awards

Radar 4/4 Click here keep up-to-date with the latest news from edie.net Food & drink Sainsbury's and M&S stores reach new heights of sustainability Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer (M&S) have achieved new levels of sustainability at stores in Leicester, Weymouth and Cheshire Oaks through the implementation of technology and efficiency initiatives. In November, Sainsbury's opened its "most environmentally friendly" store in Leicester which emits zero carbon from all operational energy used, sends zero waste to landfill and has zero impact on the water usage of the local catchment area. Sainsbury's Weymouth store, opened in October, also carry's the 'triple zero' status, with both stores including a range of renewable energy technologies, in addition to several waste and water efficiency initiatives. In Leicester, all of the store's electricity and heating is provided by an onsite generator, "meaning all operational energy used is zero carbon", while the combined heat and power system uses natural gas from the national gas grid. However, the equivalent amount of zero carbon biogas, required for the store each year, will be imported into the network from one of Sainsbury's Dairy Development Group farmer's anaerobic digestion facilities in West Sussex, therefore "creating a closed loop". Speaking to SB, Sainsbury's head of engineering, sustainability, energy and environment Paul Crewe said that the new store in Leicester, in addition to the store in Weymouth, is designed with high level technology at the forefront of their plans. "Along with the sustainability innovation world, we're really open and want to have as many emerging technologies as possible come through our door, so that we can assess whether they are commercially viable," said Crewe. In October, fellow retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) announced that its Cheshire Oaks store, opened in August 2012, has achieved a 42% reduction in energy use compared with an equivalent store - against a target of 30% - in its first year in operation. The store has surpassed the environmental expectations of its designers, again beating the target of 35% fewer carbon emissions than an equivalent store by a further 5%. Efficient operation of the store has resulted in a 21% reduction in electricity use and heating fuel consumption 60% lower than the designers predicted. The figures have been largely down to the stores biomass boiler, which provides 72% of the stores heating, and significant building insulation, which has reduced heat lost overnight in winter to just 1°C, compared with 9°C in other store environments. Both retailers plan to use their stores as exemplars for all future stores.

• Cover