Tesco has today opened its new low-carbon supermarket in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester.
According to the supermarket chain, the £20m venue has a carbon footprint of about 70% less than a typical store.
The supermarket’s lighting system is capable of dimming bulbs when it gets brighter outside and it has a checkout packaging area made from recyclable plastic.
Natural carbon dioxide gas is being used to cool fridges rather than traditional fridge gases, which cause more harm to the environment, Tesco added.
Executive director of corporate and legal affairs Lucy Neville-Rolfe said: “The Cheetham Hill store is an exciting development in Tesco’s long-term plans to reduce significantly the carbon footprint of its stores by 2020.
“The new blueprint, which will provide a foundation for future stores being built in the UK, demonstrates our commitment to tackling climate change. It will also considerably reduce store fuel costs going forward.”
Tesco said the measures adopted at the venue will allow it to reduce the store’s fuel bill by 48%, based on 2006 levels.
Experts believe Tesco is poised to record modest sales growth this week, although reports success its Finest range may have performed well over Christmas.
Other retailers have in the last few months revealed their own environmentally-friendly stores, such as the Co-operative New Mills shop in Derbyshire.
