Food Lion Debuts Its First Eco-Friendly Store, in Columbia, S.C.

The latest iteration of Food Lion, LLC’s continuing commitment to environmental sustainability took shape with the opening of the grocer’s — and the state of South Carolina’s — first environmentally friendly grocery store in the Summit Commons Shopping Center.

Having been designed and built to acquire Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification designation, the new store features such environmentally friendly construction and energy-efficient services as:

—High-efficiency lighting that dims lights based on natural sunlight in the store
—LED lighting in the frozen food cases.
—Bike racks and preferred parking for low-emitting vehicles
—Low-flow and sensor-activated water fixtures in restrooms
—Bathroom partitions made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled material, such as juice, milk and water bottles
—Native plant species that minimize irrigation requirements, such as the Shumard Oak
—Enhanced air quality for associates and customers from the use of low-toxicity materials and proactive management plans used throughout construction to ensure optimal indoor air quality
—Environmental education via kiosks and signage throughout the store
—Purchasing more than 50 percent of building materials manufactured within 500 miles of the store’s location, which helped boost the local economy and reduce energy expended on transportation. The construction materials had 25 percent recycled content, and 50 percent of the wood was Forest Stewardship Council Certified
—Strong waste management plans, which diverted more than 85 percent of construction waste from landfills through recycling
—Customer and associate recycling programs at the store.

“Food Lion has a long-standing commitment to being a caring neighbor and is committed to being a strong corporate citizen in the communities in which we operate,” said Rick LaCroix, VP of Food Lion’s Southeastern Markets. “We are proud of this valuable investment in the … community,” whose residents will appreciate the store’s “fresh, quality products, including natural and organic selections, at the great prices consumers expect from Food Lion,” he added.

Speaking about the regional retailer’s increasing commitment to protecting the environment and reducing energy consumption through green building construction and other energy-saving measures, Kyle Mitchell, VP of store development for the Salisbury, N.C.-based chain, said: “By building the first LEED grocery store in our company’s history and in South Carolina, we are reducing energy costs by more than 20 percent compared to a typical supermarket ,as well as conserving 44 percent more water. We have been a leader in the energy and environmental sector for many years and have one of the most advanced retail energy conservation programs in the country.”

Food Lion — a subsidiary of Brussels-based Delhaize Group that operates more than 1,300 supermarkets under its eponymous, Bloom, Bottom Dollar Food, Harveys and Reid’s banners in 11 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states — has been dedicated to numerous sustainability initiatives for nearly a decade, such as energy conservation and reducing carbon dioxide emissions throughout its 11-state footprint, reducing its energy consumption by more than 25 percent since 2000, or 2.61 trillion BTUs, Mitchell added.

The chain’s first green store is about 35,000 square feet and employs around 50 associates. In South Carolina, Food Lion has 146 stores and employs more than 7,700 associates.
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