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Walmart opens high-efficiency supercentre in Ontario

MISSISSAUGA, ON — Walmart Canada opened its first high-efficiency (HE) prototype in late September in the community of Waterdown, Ontario. The Supercentre is expected to use 30 per cent less energy and will integrate industry-leading heating, cooling and refrigeration systems to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The high-efficiency prototype will become the norm for all future Walmart stores nationwide.

The Waterdown Supercentre will also be Walmart Canada's first high waste-diversion store, incorporating a number of waste programs including, but not limited to paper, plastic, organics, polystyrene, wood, and metal recycling and diversion. Ultimately, the company intends to operate the entire facility waste free.

"As we design and build new stores, our goal is to be the greenest business on the block," said David Cheesewright, president and CEO for Walmart Canada. "We continue to pilot new technologies, drive innovation and experiment with new prototypes to create some of the most sustainable stores in retail. With our new sustainable prototypes, we are on track to achieve our environmental goals, which include using less energy, and producing less waste."

The HE store includes the following energy efficient operations and features:

• Waste heat from refrigeration captured and reused to heat store.
• Environmentally preferable glycol refrigeration system.
• Energy-saving, motion-activated LED lights in refrigerators and freezers reduce energy use.
• LED lights in various applications, like store-front signs that use 90 per cent less energy.
• Low-wattage parking lot lights.
• Cutting energy used to light sales floors by 20 per cent.
• Low-flow water fixtures such as toilets, urinals and sinks.
• Energy recovery ventilation systems and CO2 sensor controls.
• White roof membrane deflects sunlight by an estimated 85 per cent to reduce heat gain in summer and demand on the electrical grid.
• Increased roof insulation to reduce heat and cooling loss.

Other sustainable features of the store include concrete floors for chemical-free clean up and hundreds of environmentally preferable products ranging from organic produce, dry groceries and dairy to environmentally preferable cleaning products and paper products.

Earlier this year, Walmart Canada opened its first environmental demonstration store in Burlington, Ontario. The Burlington Walmart Supercentre features geothermal technology and energy-conserving lighting innovations, among other sustainable features.

For more information on Walmart Canada's greening efforts, visit www.forthegreenergood.ca.

October 8, 2009  By Newswire