Build a Supermarket from Wool, Wood and Straw

When you’re the largest supermarket chain in the UK, you have to set an example of being environmentally responsible.

Tesco has already established ‘energy efficient stores’ in the UK like the one pictured below..

Low Carbon Tesco in Manchester

Now imagine that made out of Wood, Wool and Straw…

That seems to be Tesco’s next step in Slovakia.

Here’s an extract from the company’s website:

“Plans are underway to build an eco store from sheep wool, wood and pressed straw in the small town of Rajec in the mountainous region of Northern Slovakia.

The new Tesco store will be the only one of its kind in Central Europe. The unique construction is attracting lots of attention and the citizens of Rajec are proud to host this unusual supermarket.

Mirek Friml is our Director of Construction at Tesco Slovakia. He says, “We are using natural materials like wood, wool and straw, to reduce our impact on the environment. We have started to construct low-energy stores in Slovakia but we would like to go further and create something new. All construction materials will be sourced locally.”

As well as being better for the environment, the store will also be less costly to run, so it is good for business, too.”

It’s a different step for Tesco, but probably in line with traditional building methods of the area.

Is it just a house made out of straw? Well, if it means less transportation of materials and lower energy usage it will be a great case study to show that being eco-friendly doesn’t have to come at a cost.

Tesco: Green from China to Czechia?

Can Tesco meet its CEO Sir Terry Leahy’s vision of halving its carbon footprint by 2020? 

If it will, surely its operations outside of the UK which account for nearly half of its 4 thousand strong array of global stores will have a pivotal role.

Solar Power in Czechia 

In the Czech Republic, Tesco is in the midst of building the country’s largest private Solar Power Facility to generate 30% of the energy for the 24,000 sqm Distribution Center it will set above.

Setting aside the Solar Power however, the Distribution Center itself does not seem to be the most environmentally friendly structure around. It runs 24/7 lights burning, is kept at an average temperate of 9 degrees Celsius and is home to a fleet of 250 trailer trucks.

Some sustainable features have been implemented however, including the switch to fluorescent and a cooling systems which releases air (pushed underground during the day) at night to cool the building.

More at Adrian Chen’s Article @ The Prague Post

Another Energy-Saving Store in China

This week saw the opening of China’s 3rd ‘Energy-Saving’ Tesco Store in Tieling, North-East China. It joins the 1st store in Shanghai and 2nd store in Tianjin as models for Tesco’s plans to introduce updated energy-saving initiatives to all its 59 stores in China.

The ‘energy-saving’ features in the new Tieling store seem a little less than inspiring and  focus on efficient cooling systems which Tesco estimates will reduce  the store’s energy consumption by 25% (halfway to 50%!).

More at: ChinaCSR, BizChina and China Retail News

Earlier Article about Banned Plastic Bags in China: EvolvingChoice

Update: Tesco has just opened a store in Cheltenham, Manchester with similar features to the Chinese ‘Energy Savers’ claiming a 70% reduction in an equivalent store’s carbon footprint. From: BusinessGreen & ClimateBiz

 

What do you guys think? Could Tesco halve its Carbon Footprint by 2020?