The award is presented [image-nocss] with the support of the Captain Planet Foundation, an organization that shares CSP's intentions to bring focus to environmental excellence in the c-store industry.The first Environmental Stewardship award was given to Rutter's, York, Pa.; Kwik Trip, La Crosse, Wis.; and Kum & Go, West Des Moines, Iowa, at Outlook Leadership last year in Palos Verdes, Calif. As it did last year, the award itself will contain a rare, framed copy of the first edition of the Captain Planet comic book.
The first of this year's winners is Green Valley Grocery, a convenience chain that recently began building and remodeling its stores to be more environmentally friendlybut with a keen eye toward business. All design modification and equipment purchases had to have a return on investment of two years or less. Of the chain's current 40 stores, approximately four have been remodeled to implement new "green" ideas, and one was built from the ground up.
A team of designers, contractors, architects, suppliers and Green Valley personnel gathered to discuss ways in which they could design a store that would first and foremost conserve energy and keep costs down. Nearly 50 "green" items were considered, but 37 were implemented in the ground-up build. Items such as solar panels, for example, wouldn't see payback for at least 12 to 15 years and were deemed unrealistic; however, energy-efficient lighting for inside and on the canopy, water reclamation efforts, and EnergyStar-rated equipment all made sense in the short term. Companywide, the chain is also undergoing a light program relamping of energy-efficient fixtures across all stores.
CSP will also recognize GetGo, the c-store arm of multi-format retailer Giant Eagle Inc. In March 2010, the chain received a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification for its GetGo c-store and gas station in Wexford, Pa.
The store includes air-quality sensors that constantly monitor for carbon dioxide; the air quality is subsequently improved by the use of adhesives, sealants, paints, carpeting and wood products that are low in volatile organic compounds. It also practices water conservation by landscaping with drought-resistant vegetation. The store is designed to consume 21% less energy as well as less heating and cooling by using increased insulation. No ozone-depleting refrigerants are used in its refrigeration and cooling systems. Finally, most of the construction waste was sent to other companies for reuse, and all wood used in the site is harvested from sustainable services.
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7-Eleven earns a spot as one of CSP's environmental stewards for innovation at the top and bottom of its vertically integrated chain. First, the company opened its first "green" store in February, for which it promptly applied for LEED designation. The store, located in DeLand, Fla., is landscaped with native, drought-tolerant plants to save on water usage; uses light-colored concrete parking surfaces to reduce the "heat island effect" that generates a lot of unwanted heat; integrates reserved parking spaces for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles and carpools; uses local and regional building materials and recycled content as well as certified wood (at least half the wood used is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council); and is equipped with high-efficiency heating and cooling, lighting, water fixtures and more.
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Additionally, the c-store giant opened a "green" commissary and combined distribution center in Long Island, N.Y. There, fresh foods are prepared and delivered to 674 7-Eleven stores in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The 130,000-square-foot facility integrates a food-processing area that is constructed with thick polymer concrete toppings with anti-microbial agents that won't flake off the floor, light fixtures that can be changed from outside a room to prevent breakage and contamination, and a gas-energy mixing system that treats the water before it is discharged.
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Oak Brook, Ill.-based CSP Information Group, publisher of CSP, Fare, FoodService Director and Restaurant Business magazines, is a business-to-business communication company specializing in the convenience retailing, restaurant and on-the-go food industries. In addition to its print products, CSP Information Group's two divisions (Convenience Group and Food Group) produce the CSP Daily News e-mail newsletter, CSPnet.com, MonkeyDish.com, ID Report, MyIDAccess.com, CSPNetwork CyberConferences, CSPTV, CSP Leadership Conferences & Events including Retail Leader of the Year, and CSP Custom Solutions. Visitwww.cspnet.com for more information.
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