Sustainability

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl’s Department Stores has been recognized with a 2012 Sustained Excellence in Green Power Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This is the company’s sixth consecutive year receiving a Green Power Leadership Award.

Kohl’s purchased 1.5 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power in 2012 and generates more than 28 million kWh through its solar program, offsetting more than 100% of the company’s electricity use for the third consecutive year.

Round Rock, Texas -- Ikea has officially plugged in its largest U.S. rooftop solar installation to date, at its store in Round Rock, Texas. When combined with Ikea projects atop stores in Houston and Dallas-area Frisco, the new installation also makes Ikea the largest solar owner in Texas.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl’s Department Stores has been recognized with a 2012 Sustained Excellence in Green Power Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The award was presented Monday at an event held in conjunction with the 2012 Renewable Energy Markets Conference in Washington, D.C. This is the company’s sixth consecutive year receiving a Green Power Leadership Award.

Starbucks Coffee Company is participating in a pilot project designed to encourage employees to identify strategies that will reduce the amount of energy required to run the stores while not impacting customer service.

Parking lot maintenance is taking top billing in retail, as a growing number of facilities managers realize that extending the life cycle of an existing parking lot paves the way toward reduced expense in the long run.

Chain Store Age talked with Rose Paving’s C.B. Kuzlik about retail’s renewed focus on maintenance in today’s cost-conscious climate.

What role does weather play in parking lot management?

Brookshire Brothers has launched a comprehensive lighting update involving in-store, parking lot, exterior signage and refrigerated case fixtures.

Using a combination of new linear fluorescent lighting and LED technologies — from GE Lighting, East Cleveland, Ohio — Brookshire Brothers will reduce its annual operating costs more than $235,000. The relamping has eliminated more than 3.8 million lbs. of CO2 emissions, with a reduction of 2.4 million kilowatt hours (kWhs) in electricity use.

BALTIMORE — Sprout Foods is adding new toddler puree snacks to its portfolio and also will introduce more convenient product packaging, the company announced at the Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore.

Premium adult beverage maker Diageo received the Carbon Disclosure Project’s top distinction for its efforts in the area of climate change strategy, emissions disclosure and performance.