Asda has opened its first purpose-built depot made using eco-friendly timber and reclaimed brick from a previously brown field site.
The new £42m depot will replace the previous site three miles down the road. The new build includes an additional 250,000sq ft of space, housing more than 400 staff and offering double the number of reserve slots.
The Asda “eco-depot” in Didcot, Oxfordshire, has been designed to achieve CO2 savings of 26%.
Green technologies being employed include movement-detecting lighting systems, energy cladding panels and thermal roof lights, which make Didcot 18% more energy efficient than any of Asda’s existing depots.
The supermarket’s goal is to reduce its carbon footprint by 3% across the business as a whole.
Ian Stansfield, head of distribution, commented: “This move forms part of our commitment to reduce the amount of carbon our new sites use by 10%.”
The depot is also the first to offer staff their own gym, along with dedicated health services including physiotherapy and self defence classes.
