Thursday, December 31, 2009

Environmental-friendly cooling: Port-A-Cool evaporative cooler

The world is becoming more sensitive to the term “green” and what it means to our environment and the health of our planet. Many companies are rushing to redefine their products and business practices to “go green”. Some companies, however, have always been green without even trying to be politically correct. It was just the right thing to do. Port-A-Cool, LLC, is one of those companies.


For example, the flagship product for the company is the Port-A-Cool® portable evaporative cooling unit, manufactured in Center, Texas. The unit features a one-piece, rotationally molded plastic housing which is leak and rust proof and produced at the company’s manufacturing facility. The company recycles all scrap plastic from the manufacture of the units, reducing waste and harm to our environment.

In addition, the unit itself uses a cooling method that is environmentally friendly. The ancient Egyptians used the same principles of evaporative cooling to cool their homes by hanging a damp mat in the doorway and allowing the wind to evaporative the water and provide cooling. Port-A-Cool® units utilize the same natural cooling methods, but have implemented state-of-the-art technology to perfect the process, always keeping in mind the company’s commitment to preserving our environment. Port-A-Cool® units use less than a dollar a day in resources to provide air an average of 7-15 degrees celsius cooler than surrounding air. Because the Port-A-Cool® unit uses a natural cooling process, no harmful greenhouse gases, like CO2 expelled from traditional air conditioning systems, are released into the air to harm our ozone layer.


An environmentally friendly process for cooling, coupled with being “green” before “green” was cool. That has always been the “natural” choice for Port-A-Cool, LLC.

For more information, or to locate a distributor near you, call +34- 932 312 810 or Or, you can visit us online at www.lc-europe.com.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Tesco lives the green life: Play the game!

Trying to live a greener, more environmentally responsible life can be very confusing.

Which is why Tesco has just launched Greener Living , to help the environmentally-aware shopper make the right decisions. The site covers many aspects of going greener, including sections on ecofriendly travel and greener homes. There's an interactive house with lots of money-saving green tips and products, fun stuff for the kids and how to eat greener – all with sustainability in mind. It also features updates on Tesco’s own commitment to environmental responsibility.

To launch this new site there's a fun flash game. The game is simple but challenging to play - can you collect the environmentally-friendly produce, while avoiding the energy-guzzlers and the pesky birds? Have a go and you could win one of five energy-efficient Indesit washing machines.

http://www.tescogreenerliving.com/

Organic food firm introduces wool packaging

Abel & Cole, the organic food delivery chain has boosted its environmental credentials by introducing sheep's wool packaging called Woolcool. The new solution will replace the polystyrene-insulated packaging that was being used across its range of chilled and perishable goods.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Job vacancy Jos de Vries The Retail Company: Creative director Branding & Communication

Jos de Vries The Retail Company develops and realizes international progressive retail concepts with a right balance of creativity and commercial profitability. With conceptual thinking we work on the vision of the clients. This results into the realization of commercial succesfull store formulas with an own identity. Next to the central office in Maarssen (The Netherlands) we have offices in Spain, Germany and Russia.

We are on the search of a Creative Director Branding & Communication.

In this job you will be responsable for the development of the brand strategy and graphic communication for several international accounts in our agency. You work together with other creative directors (3D) to realize a total concept. Internally and externally you will be the contact person for the quality of the proejct as well as the progress of the project. You will manage the project team. Together with the management team you will decide the company vision and the strategical policy in the area of branding and communication. You are responsable for your turn-over, you will play an active role in the marketing and communication of our office. With your unique combination of creativity and commercial perception you are an inspiring partner for our clients and colleagues developing progressive retail concepts.

You will work from our head office in Maarssen (The Netherlands) and your working area will be whole Europe.

Background and education:

  • Graphical design education at university level
  • Several years of experience in the world of retail design with project responsability
  • Inspiring personality with vision and power to convince
  • Experience with communication on management level
  • Prepareness to work independently as well as operating in project teams
  • Knowledge of the European retail market
  • Strongly developed sense for marketing and communication
  • Excellent command of spoken and written English and German
  • Availability to frequent travelling

For more information on our organization check http://www.josdevries.eu. For personal adjustments you can contact Jasmijn Prinssen by telephone +31 346 563764.

We look forward to receive your curriculum vitae and cover letter by e-mail info@josdevries.eu or by post: Jos de Vries The Retail Company BV, Postbus 1194, 3600 BD Maarssen.

http://www.josdevries.eu

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Lessons in LEED: LEED supermarket green building program and its efforts to earn LEED certification.

More than two years ago, the Kroger Co. (Cincinnati) started down a new path in the company’s 126-year history by deciding to design its first supermarket using the USGBC’s LEED green building rating system. At the time, Ken Pray, Kroger’s director, store design, said customers were sending a clear message that environmental awareness was a priority and that they expected the grocery chain to take some leadership in this area.
Kroger was already implementing several energy-saving technologies, such as skylights and heat reclamation, features not always visible to customers. At the same time, the company was redesigning a Fred Meyer grocery store in Portland, Ore., with a new merchandising concept that sought to make organic products mainstream. “We thought if we’re going to do something unique with the merchandise concept, we also needed to do more with the store design,” says Pray. Working with MulvannyG2 (Portland, Ore.), the company began navigating the LEED process and, in July, celebrated the store’s official reopening. While a three-month performance period is underway to gather real-world data as part of the final LEED submission process, there’s still plenty to talk about.
Source: VMSD
Click here to read further and to go to the slideshow of the LEED certificated supermarket.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Tesco uses new software to reduce emissions

Tesco has completed a deal with CA ecoSoftware, a carbon accounting technology supplier, that will enable the retailer to track progress on emission reduction in advance of forthcoming carbon legislation.

A Tesco statement confirmed: "Tesco has implemented CA ecoSoftware to help increase the efficiency, speed and accuracy of its carbon accounting process, enabling the company to more effectively track progress in pursuit of its ambitious carbon reduction goals."

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Best practises in green retailing: Nestlé water Eco-shape bottle

http://www.jdv-trc.blogspot.com
http://www.greenretailingnews.blogspot.com

International retailers adapt 'green' plans into Chinese retail market

Retailers adopt 'green' plans

"Eco-friendly"', "sustainable" and "low carbon dioxide" are not just buzz words for international enterprises like French retailer Carrefour. They are part of their most ambitious and concrete targets for the future.

Thousands of lights, non-stop refrigeration facilities and large compounds of air conditioners make for a nice shopping environment, but they are also very energy-consuming.

In a bid to become more eco-friendly, big enterprises such as Carrefour and Wal-Mart are now implementing sophisticated technology to decrease that consumption.

Even as Carrefour plans to open 20-25 new stores in China, its focus will be on energy saving and environmental protection.

Click here to read further.

Source: China Daily

Chinese Domestic retailers still new at 'green' efforts

Domestic retailers still new at 'green' efforts

Customers shop in a Wal-Mart store in Shanghai. Foreign retail chains are leading the way in developing environmentally friendly stores in China, according to China Chain Store and Franchise Association. [CFP]

International retailers are leading their domestic peers in environmental protection and energy-saving campaigns, a recent report by the China Chain Store and Franchise Association (CCFA) stated.

French retail giant Carrefour Group invested more than 200 million yuan in renovation and reconstruction of existing stores last year to make them more energy efficient.

Existing outlets are expected to reduce energy consumption by 15 percent after renovation and reconstruction.

Its new stores under construction are all energy-saving outlets. The energy consumption at these outlets will be 20 percent lower than old ones, according to the company.

US-based retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc has said that compared to a typical store in 2005, its new outlets consume 23 percent less electricity and 17 percent less water annually.

The CCFA report showed that energy-saving efforts by Chinese retailers focus mainly on saving electricity on air conditioning, lights and refrigeration.

Since 2007, many Chinese retailers have started renovations at existing stores, and some have expanded energy-conservation efforts to office areas, distribution locations and logistics centers.

Energy-saving lighting

The Ministry of Commerce has promoted an Energy Conservation Campaign among retailers since 2007 to help them reduce energy costs by 20 percent by 2010.

A CCFA survey said that from 2007 until 2008, an average retail enterprise invested 500,000 yuan to 3 million yuan for renovations of a store for environmental and energy purposes.

But the bulk of enterprises invested less than 500,000 yuan per store, according to the survey.

The survey said that retailers usually need one to three years to recover their investment.

About 81 percent of polled retailers regarded adoption of energy-saving technologies as the most effective way to reduce their energy consumption.

And 41 percent thought energy-saving management is also crucial, according to the report.

Using the energy consumption of China's top 100 retail companies in 2008, the CCFA reports that their 120,000 outlets can save 1.7 billion kWh of electricity and 1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide annually when they realize the 20 to 30 percent of energy reduction in renovated stores.

Retail chains also can guide their customers' way of shopping and promote environmental friendly and recycling ideas, according to the report.

In the first year of China's plastic bag ban, retailers helped the country reduce the use of more than 40 billion plastic bags.

Source: China Daily

Monday, September 14, 2009

Best practises in green retailing: Tesco supermarkets Carbon Foot Print


Shoppers cars soon will be able to power supermarkets


Shoppers' cars will be used to power supermarket tills in a revolutionary new scheme. The weight of vehicles driving over road plates into a new eco store will power a generator that creates enough electricity to keep checkouts ringing.
The system uses the same type of technology Formula 1 cars use to convert kinetic energy created during braking into speed.

At the Sainsbury's store in Gloucester, kinetic plates, which were embedded in the road yesterday, are pushed down every time a vehicle passes over them. A pumping action is then initiated through a series of hydraulic pipes that drive a generator. The plates are able to produce 30kw of green energy an hour - more than enough to power the store's checkouts.

The scheme at the Gloucester Quays store demonstrates the potential of kinetic energy to generate enormous amounts of electricity.
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1193070/Shoppers-cars-soon-able-power-supermarkets.html#ixzz0R469pwRO

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Super de Boer (NL) opens new sustainable supermarket


Super De Boer opened yesterdayits news sustainable supermarket in the city of Delfzijl, located in the North of The Netherlands. The renovated supermarket is now twice as big as the former supermarket, with an assortiment of 3.000 new articles. The green supermarket uses energy-friendly cooling equipment to save the environment. The store was opened on the Dutch Day of Sustainability, which was celebrated yesterday the 09-09-2009.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Tesco, UK´s leading food retailer, will open the world´s first zero-carbon store

Tesco, UK´s leading retailer, will open the world´s first "zero-carbon"-store. The store is being built and will be opened in the city of Ramsey, Cambrigde (England). The building is being built using the latest green technologies, like combined heat and power to generate energy for the supermarket. The construction material will contain high levels of insulation, and if necessary it can be recycled. The use of glass reduces the use of lighting, fresh air will generated by top-roof wind-catchers. The supermarket will have sensor-controlled energy-efficient lighting.
Tesco has met an sustainability goal, one year earlier than planned. The chain is diverting 100% of the waste produced in all the UK supermarkets. With this waste Tesco created new innovative ways of turning garbage into fuel.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

LED light for free at Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn

Intomart research shows that the Dutch population does not yet know the advantages of LED lighting. 90% of the respondents does not know that LED light is more energy efficient, and also the life-time of 20 years is not known. As mentioned yesterday the glow bulb disappears from the Dutch retail landscape. The WNF and Nationale Postcode Loterij (National Lotery) work together in promoting energy-efficient lighting. All the participants of the campaign “What LED you” can obtain a free LED light at the Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn.

Plus Retail (NL) offers biological house wine


PLUS Retail introduces biological house wine, being the first Dutch supermarket to do this. This house wine, with origen the Spanish La Mancha, has been produced thinking about the effects on the environment.
PLUS Retail has been choosen as "best wine supermarket of The Netherlands". Biological wines are cultivated without artificial manure, the application of gen technology and a mimimized use of insecticides.

Solutions for the green supermarket: Waitrose

www.waitrose.co.uk
www.jdv-trc.blogspot.com

Albert Heijn Pure and Honoust sustaining fishing policy

Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn, market leader in The Netherlands, launched an own premium brand range of “Pure and Honoust” products. (In Dutch: Puur & Eerlijk). Products have been cultivated, manufactured and purchased with respect to the people, animals, nature and environment. Albert Heijn Puur & Eerlijk Sustainable Categories.

The Albert Heijn Puur & Eerlijk range consists of five categories. These five categories are: AH Puur & Eerlijk biological food, fairtrade, sustainable fishing, free-range animals and ecological products. All the product groups are grouped under one brand name and one type of, environmental-friendly, packaging. The sustainability of the
AH Puur & Eerlijk products are guaranteed by independent external organizations.



Conditions Marine Stewardship Council Quality Brand
All the sustainable fish products under the AH Puur & Eerlijk are certified with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The MSC is an independent international non-profit organisation aiming to reduce the overfishing. Therefor MSC developed an environment standard for sustainable and well maintained fisheries.
The MSC standard looks at following points:
1. The situation of the fish, crustacean and shell fish level
2. The impact of the fishing on the eco system
3. The maintaine system of the fishery
The MSC was founded in 1996 by the WNF .

Sustainable Fishing
Worldwide the seas and oceans see an increasing impact of the their situation by overfishing and damaging fishing techniques. AH puur&eerlijk sustainable fishing offers with the MSC-certificate an extra security for the origen of sustainable fish.
More information about MSC
Mora information about Albert Heijn and sustainable fish
More information about WNF
More information about AH and WNF

Source Pictures and Text:
Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn Pure and Honoust assortment of Ecological products

Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn, market leader in The Netherlands, launched an own premium brand range of “Pure and Honoust” products. (In Dutch: Puur & Eerlijk). Products have been cultivated, manufactured and purchased with respect to the people, animals, nature and environment.

Albert Heijn Puur & Eerlijk Sustainable Categories
The Albert Heijn Puur & Eerlijk range consists of five categories. These five categories are: AH Puur & Eerlijk biological food, fairtrade, sustainable fishing, free-range animals and ecological products. All the product groups are grouped under one brand name and one type of, environmental-friendly, packaging. The sustainability of the AH Puur & Eerlijk products are guaranteed by independent external organizations.

Purely ecological
The new range of AH Puur & Eerlijk ecological products save the environment, reducing the packaging to a minimum and the building material are selected to be disolved earlier.

Two Ecological Certificates

The AH Puur & Eerlijk ecological brand have 2 ecological certificates: Nordic Swan and De Blauwe Engel (“The Blue Angel”). Both international certificates work together with the "Nederlandse Milieukeur", but have stronger regulations.

Regulations De Blauwe Engel Certificate
De Blauwe Engel is the German alternative of Nordic Swan. This quality mark also judges if the product is less damaging to the environment. The quality mark is one of the oldest and most famous ecoloical quality marks, founded back in 1978. The knowledge based is on the years of experience can be seen in the checks and strong regulations. Just like Nordic Swan the products with the quality mark of De Blauwe Engel save the environment.

Conditions Nordic Swan quality brand
An ecological product with Nordic Swan logo states that this products is one of the most environmental friendly products possible. The conditions to obtain a Nordic Ecolabel look at raw materials, production, materials and even the life cycle of the products. The production, quality and the functionality need to cumply high environmental standards. These criteria differ per group of products.

Source text and pictures: http://www.ah.nl/artikel?trg=assortiment/article.inleiding.ecologisch

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Albert Heijn Pure and Honoust assortment of Biological products

Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn, market leader in The Netherlands, launched an own premium brand range of “Pure and Honoust” products. (In Dutch: Puur & Eerlijk). Products have been cultivated, manufactured and purchased with respect to the people, animals, nature and environment.

Albert Heijn Puur & Eerlijk Sustainable Categories
The Albert Heijn Puur & Eerlijk range consists of five categories. These five categories are: AH Puur & Eerlijk biological food, fairtrade, sustainable fishing, free-range animals and ecological products. All the product groups are grouped under one brand name and one type of, environmental-friendly, packaging. The sustainability of the AH Puur & Eerlijk products are guaranteed by independent external organizations.



Biological food is pure and honoust

The big assortment of biological products, since 1988 available in the supermarkets of Albert Heijn, now forms part of the own premium brand AH Puur & Eerlijk. All products are foreseen of the EKO-certificate, tested by the independent organization Skal. Albert Heijn goes a step further than “just the EKO-certificate”, for example with the taste, freshness and the information on the packaging of the products.



Criteria EKO-certificate

A product can only be considered biological when an official organization checked if the product and processes cumply the rules. In The Netherlands the organization Skal is checking all the Dutch biological companies that they follow up the the strict rules for biological production. Only when they meet the standaards they will obtain the EKO-certificate. This certificate guarantees the consumers they buy real biological food products.

Skal-company

Every year each biological company gets a visit of an inspector, next to the unannounced visits. Skal checks the food, spaces, animals and stocks. Biological farms cannot use or posess artificial manure and chemical-synthetic insecticides. Animal welfare, the space and how the farmer takes care of the animals, is the main point of attention. The inspector can take samples of material to have it checked later on.

Check troughout the distribution chain

Not only the farms get visits from Skal, but also the biological manufacturers. The origen of the biological ingredients and raw material are checked. Biological bread for example needs to be made out of biological flour. The whole distribution channel from farmer to supermarket is checked, and if everything is allright the products will obtain the EKO-certificate for guaranteed biological product.





More information about the EKO-certificate

More information about Skal

Monday, August 31, 2009

Glow bulbs disappear out of the shelves

Stores in the European Union are, from Tuesday on, not allowed to order glow bulbs of over 100 Watt. The glow bulbs will be replaced by energy-efficient lamps, halogeen and other types of lighting. The countries of the European Union want to save electricity with this plan. Stores have untill September 2010 to sell there glow bulbs of over 75 Watt. One year more they have to sell the glow bulbs of over 60 Watt. In September 2012, the last glow bulbs will disappear out of the stores (plus 25 Watt).
Energy-efficient lamps and LED-lighting are the alternatives for the glow bulbs. In The Netherlands there was no run for the glow bulbs of over 100Watt. In Germany there are a lot of DIY-stores and other light distributors who purchased the heavy lighting, to extend the availability of the heavy glow bulbs.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Carrefour China goes green

Carrefour China is introducing new technologies to its 139 stores in China to cut excess energy expelled by the stores. This eco-friendly move has also proven to be cost-effective, as consumption was reduced between 2005-08 by taking the measures. The new measurement takes place in the plan to reduce 10% of the total energy.

Energy saving renovations in the chain's stores will feature new refrigeration methods, new air-conditioning technology and new lighting. Stores are being revamped in order to accommodate the new measures in energy renovation.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

UK Retailer Tesco will mention the emission of CO2 on their milk packaging

UK Retailer Tesco will mention the emission of CO2 on their milk packaging, the aim of Tesco is to increase it to up to 500 products before the end of the year.

Tesco explains that, independent, researches show that over 50% of the population knows what the meaning of carbon footprint is. One year ago just 32% of the population knew the meaning of carbon footprint. Over 50% of the clients of Tesco say that they take the effect on the environment of the products into account.

The largest amount of emission of CO2 for milks happens at the farms. Tesco works together with these farms to reduce this amount, therefor they set up the groups: Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group and Dairy Centre of Excellence. These groups are responsable for the better quality of animal food and the use of renewable energy sources.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

UK Supermarket chain Sainsbury's reduces amount of plastic in packaging



The UK retailer Sainsbury´s today anounced the use of Amcor Flexible´s new heat-sealed packaging. This packaging will be used for products like strawberries, plums and cherries.
The new packaging will reduce the weigth of the packaging and the total amount of the plastic used by the retailer, supporting the claims of Sainsbury´s Greenretailing policy.
The new package, thanks to the new film metarial, will be 87% lower in weigth, for Sainsbury´s supermarkets thin means a total of aprox. 333 tonnes less of plastic per year.
The film can be printed on and this will also render labelling obsolete, helping the fight against waste again.
The Amcor company is also speaking with other retailers to see if they can introduce their new packaging method there also.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Tesco: Greener Living Program for a green and sustainable future


The British supermarket chain Tesco is looking to find a green future, they are protagonists of the program “GreenerLiving” for a more sustainable living. This includes labelling sustainable and energy-efficient products, rewarding the consumers with Green Clubcard Points when they purchase green products and re-use bags and recycle mobile phones and inkjet cartridges.

Important part of their green program is the Sustainable Consumption Research Insitute, which is a 25 million pound investment, where together with the University of Manchester Tesco is working to find new ways to improve the environment. It is part of their commitment to a greener, sustainable future and will look for the best green solutions in retail.

The UK retailer is also working with audited and certified farms to assure a high standard of animal welfare, this accounts for all their UK meat, poultry, eggs and farmed fish suppliers. They seek to buy their seafood from responsible managed fisheries, in order to maintain a viable and long-term future for wild fish and shelfish populations.

http://www.tesco.com/greenerliving/
http://www.greenretailingnews.blogspot.com
http://www.jdv-trc.blogspot.com

Thursday, August 13, 2009

UK supermarket chain Marks & Spencer awarded for eco-friendly fishing policy

The UK retailer Marks and Spencer has received an award for their ethical and responsable approach to fishing. This award has been granted by Greenpeace and the Marine Conservation Society (MCS). Marks and Spencer also catches tuna by using the pole and line method, this has less damaging affect on supplies.


Marks & Spencer is the first UK retailer that uses this way to fish. The tuna fishes are normally used for the sandwiches, fishcakes and meals.

Marks & Spencer has been recognised for their eco-friendly fishing with the MCS´ sustainable fishing awards.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Editorial New York Times: Can Wal-Mart Be Sustainable?

Yesterday the New York Times placed an article on the recent plans of Wal-Mart´s Sustainability.

Recently, Wal-Mart has been rolling out plans for what it calls a sustainability index — a measure of how green the products it sells really are. It is asking each of its suppliers, an enormous list of businesses, 15 questions about the life of their products from manufacturing through disposal: questions about greenhouse gas emissions, social responsibility, waste reduction initiatives and water use.

Click on the link to continue reading the article.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

100% ECO Hygienic Paper available at the supermarkets of Albert Heijn and Coop (The Netherlands)

Since today the Dutch consumers are able to purchase 100% ECO Hygienic Paper. The first supermarkets in The Netherlands who offer this environmental-friendly product are Albert Heijn and Coop. The assortment these stores offer are toilet paper, kitchen rolls and tissues of the brand NORTH RIVER. The products are the most environmental friendly products of the market. By using the product the Dutch consumers help to improve the environment.

The production of these paper product is realized by recycled wood, there is no chlorine included, 80% less water is used and the production process is realized by 100% sustainable energy.
For more information on these products take a look at the website of Friends Hygiene or contact them by e-mail jan@friendshygiene.nl


Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Interview international supermarket news: Marks & Spencer Director of Plan A and sustainable business, about the eco-friendly cause

Today the online version of International Supermarket News (ISN) published an interview with Richard Gillies - Marks & Spencer Director of Plan A and Sustainable Business, about their eco-friendly cause.
Since January 2007, Marks and Spencer has had an environmental and ethical vision to share that has been a major contribution to the supermarket industry's part in fighting for the eco-friendly cause: Plan A. The name suggests top priority, focus, urgency, even passion, and the refusal to settle for a Plan B. This is an initiative that, as well as involving staff across the chain, has embraced everything from landfill to sustainability, to animal welfare. In the name of environmental concern, M&S has worked alongside organisations such as WRAP, Oxfam and The Woodland Trust to reduce waste and to encourage a less corrosive approach to the planet. M&S' Director of Plan A and Sustainable Business Richard Gillies has given ISN an exclusive and detailed insight into how the project has worked from its conception to its ongoing practice, which has just reached its half-way point in fulfilling the ambition of obliterating landfill waste by 2012.
For the rest of this interview we refer to the interview on International Supermarket News.

Monday, August 3, 2009

The collaboration of French retail giant Carrefour and WWF

Some years ago already the French retail multinational Carrefour implemented a plan to save the world´s forest resources. For this plan they started to work together with the NGO organization (WWF – World Wildlife Fund). The plan included to select FSC certified wood and introducing this range of garden furniture made of roble wood. At the moment all the countries were Carrefour is present, they have this range of sustainable forest.

The plan of sustainable forest Management, includes information of suppliers in order to guarantee the traceability of the wood and demonstrate the origen and sustainability of the wood products. The objective is to offer a full range of 100% FSC certified wood products in the assortment of all the international hypermarkets.

http://www.jdv-trc.blogspot.com

Friday, July 31, 2009

Coca Coca In the Netherlands focuses on a healthy, active life style and a sustainable environment.

Soft drink manufacturer Coca Cola in The Netherlands revealed their social responsability plan, key points are a healthy and active life style and a sustainable environment. By focusing on sustainability they hope to achieve better company results and for the society. Coca Cola is thinking about reducing water and energy use and the re-use of packages.

This means that they have the objective to recycle 85% of the bottles and cans. The bottles have already been changed, they have less weigth, reducing the amount of garbage. In The Netherlands the big bottles incluye some deposit to recycle these bottles. For the smaller bottles and cans this does not exist (yet), they are working on a new recycling system for these smaller bottles. This new recycle concept “Recycling Kit” is now being tested. The sales of these smaller amounts happen a lot in Shopping areas and at service stations, therfor when the test works out well, they will roll-out this recycling point concept into further areas.

Coca Cola, based in Dronten the South of The Netherlands, obtains sustainable water from their own mineral water source (current 87% of the total). The objetive is to be water neutral before 2020, therefor they need to re-use water.
At the website of Coca Cola you can find the commitments of Coca Cola with the environment.
http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/environment.html

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Jos de Vries The Retail Company launches at LinkedIn the Group Innovative Retail Concepts

Jos de Vries The Retail Company started the group "Innovative Retail Concepts" at www.linkedin.com for retail professionals to share knowledge and follow the latest trends on innovative (green) retail concepts.

We invite you to join this group and follow the news and to have discussions with other retail professionals.


Regards,

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

How to find the right balance in creating the green store concept

Green buildings may be good for the environment but they also need to take into account shopping value and the comfort of the shopper. Removing all the air-conditioning could well reduce the quality of fresh produce and lead to overheated customers leaving the store.

How to find the right balance in creating the green store concept is an interesting article of the magazine Elsevier Food International, written by Noella Pio Kivlehan.

Climate neutral, biological tomatoes at Dutch supermarket chain Dekamarkt

The supermarkets of Dekamarkt are the first ones in The Netherlands selling biological tomatoes. Dekamarkt is analyzing the assortment, composing a responsable assortment. The tomatoes are cultivated climate neutral because the total process of cultivation is followed.
Because of the use of a lot of artificial manure rivers in Southern America have a lot of water plants in the rivers. These are removed and put on the side of the river, this causes a high level of emissions. Now this biological garbage will be used as compost. The transformation of this compost results into “carbon credits”, these are used to compensate the emission of production, storage and transport of these tomatoes.

Green supermarket gets energy from their clients

In the Sainsbury´s supermarket of Gloucester they have a novelty in green retailing. The clients generate energy for the supermarket, driving over a kinetical plate installed at the parking, the supermarket will receive energy. The movements are caught and transformed into energy, which the supermarket uses in different applications.

This supermarket already works with sun and wind energy. With this new application the supermarket thinks to save 30kW energy per hour, comparable with the energy consumption of all cooling and freezers in the supermarket.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Carrefour Belgium: buying green energy in the supermarket

The French hypermarket chain Carrefour is in Belgium the first retailer selling green electricity. At the moment they only offer it at their website but when it is succesfull they will apply it into their hypermarkets. The project is called Energy Eco Planet and the 100% green electricity is produced and distributed by the Belgian energy partner Lampiris under the label of Carrefour.

Sainsbury´s key points of green retail

British retailer Sainsbury´s has an interesting clear website about their commitment with green retailing. Several points showing their commitment with the environment can be found at this website. Below we will give you the link where you can find the videos about these green commitments.

- Reducing the carbon footprint
- Reducing waste
- Reducing packaging
- Green pilot store, green supermarket of the future
- Reduce, re-use, recycle

Furthermore you can see the key commitments of the retailer.
- Best for food and health
- Sourcing with integrity
- Respect for our environment
- Making a positive difference to our community
- A great place to work.

Click here for more information on Sainsbury´s

US green grocer PCC offers green, organic, local and sustainable products.




...

The website Faircompanies.com made a report on one of the biggest green supermarkets of the United States, the retail chain PCC. This store sells for 95% organic products, locally produced and sustainable. The supermarket of the movie is located in Seatlle, you can see how their production selection works and how they communicate where the products are from and how they are made. They have an impressive assortment of all types of organic and fairtrade products.

www.faircompanies.com

Friday, July 24, 2009

Biological supermarket concept Ekoplaza trendsetter in The Netherlands with biological and reform products


Ekoplaza is a Dutch biological supermarket concept which promotes natural food products. In the 4 supermarkets in The Netherlands consumers can find biological food products with the best reform quality. This concept before was known as “natureshop” but 2 years ago a transformation of the concept resulted into the new EkoPlaza concept.

The products directly go from the field to the EkoPlaza stores and are all biologically produced, meaning that no insecticide is used and that the products are made with respect to the nature and the environment and all the health aspects of humans and Earth.

The green message of US Retailer Whole Foods Market

One of the fastest growing supermarket chains in the United States is the chain Whole Foods Market. This chain has been one of the trendsetters in biological food products and is still growing rapidly in the USA and Canada. Inside the supermarket with the assortment and the communication and also outside the supermarket the retailer explains the effects and advantages on green retailing. For more information on this formula visit their website and to see the overview of Whole Foods Market green values and actions click here.


Communication of origen of green products in retail: example Plus Retail (NL)

This picture of Dutch supermarket chain Plus Retail shows the communication of their fresh and green produce. This communication promotes (in this case iceberg lettuce) the fresh image of the company and improves the traceability of the products, bringing it closer to their consumers.


GfK researches the green consumers with their Sustainable Consumer Monitor for Supermarkets

In cooperation with the non-profit organization Solidaridad GfK published the Sustainable Consumer Monitor. The Sustainable Consumer Monitor needs to become a guide for retailers how to apply sustainanable retailing.

The report shows that there are 3 different groups of sustainable consumers: open-minded, organics and demanding. The report states that in The Netherlands there are over 3,9 million households that belong to one of these groups (over 50% of the total number of households in The Netherlands).

The consumers that belong to the group openminded are interested in the animal welfare. Organic consumers think about the environment and the demanding consumers look at social equaility and honest retailing. This research is very interesting for the food retailers. When for example a supermarket attracts a lot of open-minded clients, the supermarket can offer a wide assortment of meat replacement products. A supermarket that has a lot of demanding visitors can offer more fairtrade-products.

The reason why these consumers purchase more and more green and fairtrade products is that they think they support the environment and the animal welfare.
Blog Widget by LinkWithin