Our eco-friendly store near Liverpool is 40% more energy efficient and emits 50% less carbon dioxide than a standard new build store. So how did we build it?

Asda Bootle opened in October 2008 and has many green features, making it our lowest carbon store. For starters it has an entirely timber frame and is made with bricks reclaimed from Liverpool docks and other materials from recycled and renewable sources.

The lighting is solar-powered and the building uses rainwater to flush the loos. Look up at the roof and you will see grass growing there, partly to attract insects and wildlife and partly to act as insulation and help retain water.

Inside the store lighting, fridges and heating have been specially designed to reduce energy waste. Step outside and the landscape is filled with locally sourced plants and trees.

By using natural lighting it is estimated that the store will save approximately 142 tonnes of CO2 and 349,000 kwhrs of electricity per year. This equates to the same energy needed to power 3600 households for a week.

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We carefully consider every aspect of our supply chain in order to cut carbon emissions and reduce costs, allowing us to pass these savings on to our customers. We also strive to reduce road miles by using local distribution hubs and switching more of our freight to rail and sea wherever possible.

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Over the past couple of years we have been working with our suppliers to reduce the amount of carbon emitted during the manufacture, growing and processing of our products — something that’s known as embedded carbon.

We work with fresh food suppliers to map the embedded carbon in their products, identifying ‘hot spots’ that can be targeted to significantly reduce levels of carbon.

For the dairy industry, we created a tool kit to help identify and reduce embedded carbon. We will continue this work with 100 dairy farms to calculate their individual carbon footprints.

Asda is also part of the Institute of Grocery Distribution, a think–tank and research organisation for the sector, working with the British Standards Institute to find a method by which all retailers can measure the amount of embedded carbon in their supply chains.

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Use this carbon footprint calculator to work out how much carbon dioxide you or your household create as a result of your daily activities – and get advice on how you can reduce the impact. Take a look

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Home shopping is becoming more and more popular – whether it’s for groceries or for the wide range of products you can buy online via sites like Asda Direct.

It’s great for convenience, and it’s great in terms of saving on car journeys to and from our stores. But we’re going even further and starting to look at how we can make our delivery vans as green as they can be.

After collaborating with a range of partners around the country, we are proud to announce our latest innovation on the road to reducing our carbon emissions – the electric home delivery van.

Harry Harrison has been developing new transport solutions since the early days of home delivery at Asda – and is part of the team behind the vehicle.

“It was 2000 and I was watching Tomorrow’s World on the BBC,” Harry recalls. “My ears pricked up when they showed a feature on a completely electric mode of transport called the Minitram System – a cross between a tram and a bus.”

Always on the look out for a way to improve efficiency at Asda, Harry contacted the people behind the concept – Transport Design International (TDI).

“About eight years ago, we began moving into a new niche – environmentally friendly transport,” explains TDI’s managing director Martin Pemberton. “It was around this time that Harry came to us with the challenge of designing a refrigerated vehicle which was 100% free of emissions. We were delighted to help.”

The concepts were shown to the people responsible for Asda’s diesel–powered delivery trucks, Paneltex, who agreed to produce the vehicle to TDI’s design.

The team was completed by Asda’s fleet management specialists VMS. Together they became Zeroed – a group dedicated to realising the idea of a functioning electric delivery fleet. Finally, in April 2008, Zeroed’s electric vehicle made its debut at the Commercial Vehicle Show.

Harry says: “The van has caused quite a stir because it’s so efficient. It uses the latest battery technology, and can be fully charged within six hours. For us this kind of vehicle is a positive step towards a lower carbon footprint.”

Martin Pemberton says: “The team at Asda are committed to reducing the company’s emissions – and what’s more, they’re in a great position to set an example to other retailers.”

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