Use of evaporative cooling retail

For more information, or to locate a distributor near you, call 0034-932 312 810 (for European sales) and 1-800-695-2942 (for international sales). Or, you can visit us online at www.lc-europe.com (Europe) and www.port-a-cool.com (manufacturer´s website).

Ecological mobile climate control Barcelona bookstore

For more information, or to locate a distributor near you, call 0034-932 312 810 (for European sales) and 1-800-695-2942 (for international sales). Or, you can visit us online at www.lc-europe.com (Europe) and www.port-a-cool.com (manufacturer´s website).

Environmental-friendly cooling: Port-A-Cool evaporative cooler

The world is becoming more sensitive to the term “green” and what it means to our environment and the health of our planet. Many companies are rushing to redefine their products and business practices to “go green”. Some companies, however, have always been green without even trying to be politically correct. It was just the right thing to do. Port-A-Cool, LLC, is one of those companies.

For example, the flagship product for the company is the Port-A-Cool® portable evaporative cooling unit, manufactured in Center, Texas. The unit features a one-piece, rotationally molded plastic housing which is leak and rust proof and produced at the company’s manufacturing facility. The company recycles all scrap plastic from the manufacture of the units, reducing waste and harm to our environment.

In addition, the unit itself uses a cooling method that is environmentally friendly. The ancient Egyptians used the same principles of evaporative cooling to cool their homes by hanging a damp mat in the doorway and allowing the wind to evaporative the water and provide cooling. Port-A-Cool® units utilize the same natural cooling methods, but have implemented state-of-the-art technology to perfect the process, always keeping in mind the company’s commitment to preserving our environment. Port-A-Cool® units use less than a dollar a day in resources to provide air an average of 7-15 degrees celsius cooler than surrounding air. Because the Port-A-Cool® unit uses a natural cooling process, no harmful greenhouse gases, like CO2 expelled from traditional air conditioning systems, are released into the air to harm our ozone layer.

An environmentally friendly process for cooling, coupled with being “green” before “green” was cool. That has always been the “natural” choice for Port-A-Cool, LLC.

For more information, or to locate a distributor near you, call +34- 932 312 810 or Or, you can visit us online at www.lc-europe.com.

Newsweek: The greenest big companies in America

The magazine NEWSWEEK has been researching the green efforts of US Companies. . For more than a year, the magazine worked with leading environmental researchers KLD Research & Analytics, Trucost, and CorporateRegister.com to rank the 500 largest U.S. companies based on their actual environmental performance, policies, and reputation.

Click here to read the Green Ranking and here to read the full article about this ranking.

First environmental friendly bar dancing: Watt in Rotterdam

Today an article in the Dutch Telegraaf was published about the first sustainable disco: Watt in Roterdam. This disco, following the 3P-principles (people, planet and party) gets a lot of atention for its green measurements taken. The floor is generating energy, the more the clients the dance, the more energy will be generated. Each area indicates the effect of their way of dancing. Other sustainable measurements are the use of rainwater and for example zero waste bars.

Click on the link of de Telegraaf to see the video.

www.watt.nl
www.greenretailingnews.blogspot.com

Driving electrical vehicles in The Netherlands

Dutch newspaper “De Telegraaf” mentions that the consumers who choose to drive an electricity driven vehicle, do not have pay (additional) taxes on their vehicles. This counts for the first two years and the years after that it will be 7 per cent. The normal percentage in The Netherlands for an environmental-friendly car is 14 per cent.

The measurement will be announced later this year, as say well-informed sources from the car sector. Purchasing an elecrical car will remain tax-free untill 2018.

The aim of the new financial plans is to encourage manufacturers to produce electricity driven vehicles, there these type of cars are cleaner, more silent and environmental-friendly.

Source: “De Telegraaf”

Looking for a biological restaurant in The Netherlands?

The Dutch newspaper Trouw published an overview of the Biological Restaurants that you can visit in The Netherlands. So do you live in The Netherlands or are you planning a visit to The Netherlands and are you looking for a biological restaurant nearby your place of residence, take a look at the website of Trouw.

The Green Store: A greener choice

When you are interested in living greener, we would like to refer to the website The Green Store. This store is an Eco Online Store, with a wide range of environmental friendly products. With these green products you can help to reduce the impact on the planet. The assortment of eco-friendly products is changing rapidly, there the market is introducing more and more green products.

At the website you can also find various tips and tricks of how to live greener, varying from eco office tips, general eco tips up to information on palm oil.

www.thegreenstoreonline.co.uk

KLM Airlines generates electricity from garbage rests

Dutch newspaper “De Telegraaf” mentions today that The Dutch Airlines company KLM will generate electricity by using the garbage rests of the meals that come out of the planes. The daily quantity of 50.000 plates of rest garbage appear to be the ideal source for creating new energy.

Next year at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol there will start a test where the plastic couvert, cups and meal rests will be transformed into electricity and warmth. With the generated electricity the suitcases will be transported into the planes. The obtained CO2 will be used as plant nutrition in the greenhouses nearby the airport.

The traditional problem for the airline companies is that the garbage rests from the flights cannot leave the airport area due to the strict security rules. With this new green test they try to find a solution to improve the environment.

www.klm.com

Source: De Telegraaf

Pizza Fusion, a “Fresh, Organic, and Earth Friendly” Pizza place

The American Pizza Fusion is one of the leading US pizza chains looking at the environmental-friendly measurements this company takes.

The environmental mission of this pizza company is to create a sustainable future through the preservation and improvement of the environment with all aspects of their operations and existence. They strive to improve the social, economical and environmental well being of the world through:
- The support of sustainable business by seeking out environmentally conscious vendors and suppliers to partner with

- Environmental eduction to raise awareness for more sustainable approaches to living and business
- Educating the general public on the importance of sustainable living through ecological community service, consumer education and environmental mentoring
- Lobbying for political action to support a more sustainable future
- The support of organic agriculture
- The continuous evaluation of the ecological impact in their processes to reduce their nvironmental footprint.

Some of the measurements they take are the:

- at home delivery of the products with hybrid cars

- discounts for clients who return their pizza boxes

- using eco-friendly materials

- printing their in-store graphics on a banner material made from 100% recycled plastic soda bottles and printed using non-VOC inks

- Building their restaurants according to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards set forth by the United States Green Building Council by utilizing a variety of unique energy efficient tactics and eco-friendly products

www.pizzafusion.com

www.greenretailingnews.blogspot.com

Emission free distibution center of TNT Real Estate opened in Veenendaal (The Netherlands)

Under the name “Planet Me” the TNT Post is working constantly to further sustainability in their business. This varies from the change of motors in their vans up to the construction or renovation of their distribution centers.

In 2008 the organization placed in Veenendaal “ the most sustainable warehouse of The Netherlands”. This distribution center measures 1.500 square meters (300 sqm offices) and is constructed resulting into an emission free building. All the aspects of the building: design, architecture, materials and the construction methods were realized with the focus on sustainability and energy savings.

The total electricity consumption of 55.000 kWh is completely covered by sustainable energy sources at this location. The builder DGBC-participant VolkersWessels (designer and constructor) had the task to reduce the energy consumption as much as possible. This means good isolation, triple glass and smart ventilation. For the lighthing the day light is used as much as possible. The cooling and refrigeration of the building with subtarrenean warmth and cooling storage. On the roof there are placed several sun panels. When there is no sun, TNT consumes green energy of the electricity network.
A surplus of energy is returned to the energy network when for example the sun panels generate more energy than needed.

www.greenretailingnews.blogspot.com

www.greensupermarket.blogspot.com

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Day of Sustainability in The Netherlands 09-09-09

The Netherlands celebrates its “Day of The Sustainability”, Wednesday the 9th of September 2009. At 09-09-09 there are a lot of sustainable activities organized in the whole country, at different locations.

The Netherlands shows the greenest and most social side: big companies and small businesses present their green products, social organizations organize promotions and governments show their effort in promotiong electric cars, scooters and electric recharge points. There are congresses with the theme sustainability, schools participate with several activities and many more actions are done during this sustainable day.

A team of the initiator Urgenda visits, together with several Famous Dutch People, per train and with a total of 99 electrical vehicles several proyects. Urgenda is an organization which target is to promote the sustainability in The Netherlands. Dutch companies, governments, organizations or schools (and even consumers) who want to participate or want to have more information can take a look at their website. http://www.dagvandeduurzaamheid.nu/.

This can be recycling of products, the start of a green campaign, a press release or congress or discounts for green products.

Urgenda

Guardian Charity Awards 2008 Winner: Action for Sustainable Living

Action for Sustainable Living aims to engage people and communities to change their lifestyles in areas such as recycling, waste, energy and growing their own food and tries to help people live more sustainably.

To see the movie: click here.

New generation green supermarket Tengelmann Klimarkt

Tengelmann opened half a year ago their first Tengelmann Klimamarkt. This follows the objective that the supermarket chain Tengelmann gave itself. Before 2020 they want to reduce to the level of CO2-emissions with at least 20 per cent. Environmental and natural solutions to save the environment.

Their newest Klimamarkt can be seen as an example of an environmental-friendly store. This green supermarket uses 50% less energy than the traditional supermarket and they also succeeded to reduce the emission of CO2 to almost the level of 0.

What did they do and how did they do it? This green supermarket of the newest generation, warmth is being used to transform it into energy, the cooling and refrigeration departments have environmental-friendly furniture with all the doors closed. Furthermore there was a lighting plan created, were LED-lighting could promote the products, make them more sustainable and reduce the level of energy.

http://www.jdv-trc.blogspot.com

Belgian Supermarket Chain Colruyt obtaining energy in their supermarkets by introducing Sun Panels

The Belgian supermarket chain Colruyt is looking for ways to obtain a sustainable way of obtaining energy, this energy needs to support reducing the emission of CO2-gases. The price stunter will install as many sun panels as possible on the roofs of their supermarkets, where possible this will be the new way how the supermarkets obtain their energy.

Currently Colruyt already obtains 7 million kWh of electricity by wind mills, sun panels and warmth recuperation. The Belgian is with these action leading the Benelux revolution in green retailing. In neighbour country The Netherlands we do not yet see this many way to use sustainable energy in the supermarkets.

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Mars further develops plan with new action to Sustainable Business

After our recent article of the Green order System of Mars in the Netherlands, Mars comes up with a new action to sustainable business. The Green Order System has the objective to change the order behaviour to reduce the emission of CO2. The impact on the environment will be measured and communicated to the clients.

Mars now communicated that after 2020 they want to produce 100.000 tons cacao with the UTZ-Sustainability certificate. The UTZ-Sustainibility organization focuses in higher productivity on the same area, with the aim to reduce the loss of wood and to improve the income of the cacao farmers. Untill 2020 this will be adapted in different phases.

This manufactured chocolate will be used in the Mars products like Bounty, Twix and Mars. Next to the UTZ certification Mars also works with Rainforest Alliance. The method of UTZ is a structural approach to improve the productivity and reduce the level of poorness in the areas. Farmers learn how to improve their productivity, with improved methods. Furthermore they explain that farmers need to produce a wider assortment of products, to avoid depending to much on one product. Mars thinks this new production methods will increase the benefits between 30 and 50 per cent, mainly focusing on Ivory Coast (worlds biggest manufacturer of cocao for Mars).

UTZ Certified Good Inside is dedicated to creating an open and transparent marketplace for agricultural products. It offers coffee, tea and cocoa certification programs and manages traceability for RSPO certified palm oil, UTZ CERTIFIED vision is to achieve sustainable agricultural supply chains where farmers are professionals implementing good practices which lead to better businesses, where the food industry takes responsability by demanding and rewarding sustainably grown products, and where consumers buy products which meet their standard for social and environmental responsability.

American retail study shows that low Income Shoppers are More Willing to Pay a Premium for Sustainability

The company Miller Zell an Atlanta based retail specialist company researches several different of topics inside the world of retail. Today this retail company published their study on green retailing, which type of consumer purchases green products.

The traditional thougth is that consumers who are most interested in environmental-friendly products have a higher income and overall lifestyle commitment to eco-friendly living. In the research done by this retail design and strategy firm Miller Zell the result is that shoppers with a lower income are the ones purchasing green products.

In the study it states that Income is not the only important factor when consumers decide to do green shopping, consumers with lower income are willing to pay a premium for green products. Women are also willing to pay more than men for green products.

The interest of consumers in sustainable products did not result yet in good promotion and information on the green products manufacturers and retailers have. Wal-Mart last week launched the plan to obtain information on the effects on the environment of their products and communicate the effect of the purchase of this product on the environment.

The study also shows the channels that are most effective to trigger the interest of the shopper in green products as well as differences between the different generations and genders.
To download a copy of the study results, visit the Miller Zell blog, Inside the Aisle at http://insidetheaisle.com/mz-research-surveys/.

Does the outcome of this research come as a surprise for you? Which actions do you take to save the environment? Which advices would you like to share with the other readers of this blog?

Organic Food Program and Carbon Neutral Program of Dole

The banana producer, Dole, lets customers “travel to the origin of each organic product”. By typing in a fruit sticker's three-digit Farm Code on Dole Organic's website, customers can read background info, view photos of the farm and workers and learn more about the origin of Dole products (http://www.doleorganic.com/)

Dole produces organically-grown bananas in its own farms and sources from independent organic growers located in Honduras, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Colombia and Peru for the European and North American Markets and recently in the Philippines for the Asian Market. 100% of Dole’s organic bananas are certified organic and follow the organic production standards as set by the law in the US, EU or Japan.

Furthermore Dole has a carbon neutral program:
'Carbon neutral,' as applied to the banana and pineapple product supply chains, means that the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted to produce, pack, transport and distribute the fruit will be offset by mitigation practices which increase the capture of CO2 in order to achieve a 'neutral' balance. These practices entail new, more efficient transportation methods, changes to agricultural processes to reduce CO2 emissions, and partnering with local farmers to implement preservation and reforestation programs. http://www.doleorganic.com

US Retailer Food Lion to open first green store

US Retailer Food Lion (South Carolina) is planning to open the first green store of the formula and the first LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) grocery store in the region.

The store will feature a number of environmentally friendly construction and energy-efficient services, including an on-site recycling center, skylights for natural lighting, educational kiosks and preferred parking for low-emitting vehicles.By building the first LEED grocery store they plan to reduce energy costs by more than 20 per cent compared to a typical supermarket as well as conserve 44 per cent more water than other Food Lion stores.

For nearly a decade, Food Lion has been dedicated to numerous sustainability initiatives, such as energy conservation and reducing carbon dioxide emissions throughout its 11-state footprint, reducing its energy consumption by more than 27 per cent since 2000 or 2.5 trillion BTUs.”Food Lion’s first green store is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2009 and will provide employment for approximately 50 associates. Food Lion currently operates 145 South Carolina stores and employs more than 7,600 associates in the state.

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Communication of origen of fair-trade products

Yesterday in our article we mentioned the importancy of the communication to your customer that your store a green store is and how which measurements your company take to make it green(er). The same accounts for fair-trade products, where do they come from and how are they produced.

One good example of communication of origen of fair-trade products is the English company Chippindale Foods. This retailer offers full egg traceability via their website www.wheresyoursfrom.com. Every egg in the supermarket is foreseen of a tracking code. When the clients types in the code into their website, it gives full information on the origen of the egg. Furthermore there are menu suggestions and information on the production of "green" eggs.

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