Sustainability

SUNBURY, Pa. — Weis Markets on Thursday announced it has begun the construction of an environmentally innovative 65,000-sq.-ft. superstore in Fogelsville, Pa.

When construction is completed, the store is expected to achieve U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification for measurably reducing or mitigating its environmental impact for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection and indoor environmental quality.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Regency Centers, a national owner, operator and developer of grocery-anchored and community shopping centers, announced that buildings at two of its shopping centers in North Carolina and Illinois have received LEED Silver established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

By Gary C. Smith, NAEIR.org

When Children’s Wish Foundation International, an Atlanta-based charity, hosts scrapbooking or craft parties for children in the hospital, it turns to a gifts-in-kind organization and its catalog of donated merchandise for supplies. The two organizations then coordinate shipments of stuffed animals, Halloween costumes, craft materials, toys, videos and other items to hospitals to help fulfill the wishes of children in need.
 

Petaluma, Calif. -- Walmart stores equipped with smart irrigation controllers from HydroPoint Data Systems have reduced outdoor irrigation water use an average of 39% per location since the systems were deployed in 2008, the companies announced.

HydroPoint supplied 631 of its WeatherTrak controllers to select Walmart stores. The systems, which are designed to eliminate landscape water waste, harmful run-off and costly hardscape damage, were added during new store construction and as retrofit projects.

New York -- Walmart plans to install solar panels on about half of its stores in Massachusetts, making it the largest user of solar power in the state.

Walmart is partnering with Greenskies Renewable Energy LLC, Middletown, Conn., on the project, which involves 27 stores.

Purchase, N.Y. -- National Realty & Development Corp. said it has been chosen to receive the New Jersey Future 2012 Smart Growth Award for the redevelopment of CooperTowne Center in Somerdale, N.J.

The award recognizes the best development or redevelopment projects around the state that embrace sustainable growth and environmental preservation. CooperTowne Center was classified as a greyfields project, one of the first in the state, by the New Jersey Office of Smart Growth.

AUSTIN, Texas — Whole Foods is rewarding customer that live a green lifestyle through its new app it created with Whole Planet Foundation and BlueAvocado.

Lakeland, Fla. — Publix has achieved the eco milestone of saving more than 2 billion grocery bags since mid 2007. The company said it achieved this goal by training front service clerks and cashiers to increase the number of items per bag, implementing bag reduction goals for each store, holding communication campaigns to encourage the use of reusable bags and donating reusable bags to non-profits and partner organizations throughout the Southeast.