Walmart Canada opening first high-efficiency supercentre

Store will use 30% less energy

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 23 /CNW/ - Walmart Canada will open its first high-efficiency (HE) prototype Wednesday, September 23 , 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 vast 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.

About Walmart Canada

Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Walmart Canada operates 313 retail outlets nationwide and serves more than one million customers daily. The company's vision is to demonstrate environmental leadership by reducing the ecological impact of its operations through company-wide programs focused on waste, energy and products, as well as outreach programs that preserve and enhance local environments. For more information on how Walmart Canada is contributing to the environment, please visit www.forthegreenergood.ca.

For further information: Felicia Fefer, Corporate Affairs, Walmart Canada, [phone] x 4466