Everything in the new store, from bricks and lighting to shopping bags and parking lots, have been developed based on the ambition to create Denmark’s most environmentally friendly grocery shop. This means e.g. that the shop’s energy supply strictly derives from renewable energy sources, and that the shop is disconnected from the district heating system.

The shop is built on sustainable principles, drawing from the newest technologies and innovative solutions. As a result, the consumption of resources has been drastically reduced through e.g. recycling, environmental awareness, energy savings, reduced CO2 emission, and focus on reduced food waste.

“In Lidl we are well aware of our social responsibility. To us, size and responsibility go hand in hand, and for that reason we have challenged ourselves as much as possible, in the name of climate, throughout the entire construction process of the new shop at Sjælør Boulevard (Copenhagen). We have succeeded to such extent that the shop has been recognised for being, not only Denmark’s, but Europe’s greenest grocery shop”, says Finn Tang, CEO Lidl Denmark.

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Setting an example for other European grocery shops, Lidl has been awarded the highest certification within building standards LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). As the only grocery shop in Europe, it has been awarded the LEED Platinum certification for its thought-through energy-efficient solution, which characterises the entire construction.

Green initiatives pay off
It is not only the environment that benefits from of the green transition, says Lild Denmark’s CEO, Finn Tang.

“Of course this is an achievement that we are proud of – primarily because it benefits the environment, but also because it pays off economically to e.g. minimise electricity consumption, to produce electricity through roof top solar cells, and to reuse the rain water, as we do”

The shop is a pilot project, with which Lidl aims to test new, innovative, and climate friendly initiatives and in that way inspire other shops, to build sustainably. Also, Lidl aims to make it easier for customers to live sustainably. As a result, charger stations for  electric cars and electric bicycles have been installed at the parking lot, while information screens informing customers on train and bus schedules have been installed inside the shop.

In specifics: The sustainable initiatives
The shop’s sustainable initiatives are, amongst other things:

- Use of sustainable building materials where possible, e.g. bricks produced by recycled materials from Airbase Værløse.
- FSC labelled wood
- 285 m2 electricity generating solar panels on the roof
- Use of automatised lighting and electricity efficient LED light
- Lids on all freezing compartments and meat containers, as well as plastic blinds on refrigerated displays to minimise energy consumption
- Heat recovery of the excessive heat from refrigerated displays, as well as geothermal heat to heat the shop
- 300m2 green roof, which absorbs the rain water and absorbs CO2 corresponding to 30 trees
- Rain water collection that is reused for watering  of green areas and toilet flushing
- The shop’s products are delivered in its own gas-truck, which strictly runs on natural gas
- The shopping bags consist of more than 80% recycled material  

Source: Lidl