Asda to open Britain's first 'eco superstore'

Britain's first ever 'ecosuperstore' is set to open at a cost of £27 million.

By Charlotte Bailey Last Updated: 11:16PM BST 25 Oct 2008

Environmentalists have criticised Asda, claiming the concept of an environmental superstore is a contradiction in terms

The Asda store, in Bootle, Liverpool, will have doors on every freezer, fridge and chill cabinet and will itself be made of recycled brick and sustainable wood.
It will also have geothermal pumps to bring up hot water from underground aquifers and a wood pellet-burning boiler to help to heat the store.
Asda says that the store, which opens Monday, will cut energy use and emissions by up to half.
However, it has been criticised by environmentalists who have branded the very notion of an 'ecosuperstore' a contradiction.
Helen Rimmer, a campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said: "While green technology can improve the environmental footprint of a building, this is a small part of a supermarket's impact, which includes emissions from food freight and customer travel to stores."
However, Julian Walker-Palin, head of corporate policy for sustainability and ethics for Asda, said that they were doing it for their customers.
He said: "For 17 million people who shop [in Asda] each week, the majority don't understand climate change or carbon, and they don't want to. But they understand there's this issue we need to do something about."