Sustainability

Phoenix -- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market said Thursday it has turned on 11 rooftop solar installations in Phoenix and Los Angeles. The panels, installed by REC Solar, will provide 536 kW of power and supply 20% of each store’s energy needs.

Boynton Beach, Fla. -- Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers announced the addition of Publix Super Market as the new anchor of Boynton Lakes Plaza, a 117,000-sq.-ft. neighborhood center in Boynton Beach, Fla. 

Publix is relocating from an undersized 39,000-sq.-ft. store in a nearby center to open a new prototype of 45,600 sq. ft. in late summer 2012.   

The store will occupy a former Winn-Dixie site that was closed along with 29 other locations in July 2010.
 

San Diego -- Ikea said Tuesday that it has officially powered up its solar energy installation at its 198,000-sq.-ft. store in San Diego.

The 30,000-sq.-ft. array consists of a 252-kW system, built with approximately 1,120 panels.  It will produce approximately 366,400 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 290 tons of carbon dioxide, eliminating the emissions of 50 cars or powering 32 homes yearly.

San Francisco -- Gap Monday today released its fifth Social and Environmental Responsibility report, a comprehensive update on its supply chain operations, environmental programs and community investment efforts from 2009 to 2010.

In the report, the company committed to reducing the absolute greenhouse gas emissions from its operations in the United States by 20% by 2015, when compared with 2008 levels. This follows an earlier 20%  decrease in greenhouse gas emissions from 2003 to 2008.

SAN FRANCISCO — Gap Inc. announced that it has released its fifth social and environmental responsibility report, a comprehensive update on its supply chain operations, environmental programs and community investment efforts from 2009 to 2010.

MINNEAPOLIS — Customers can save on back-to-school shopping by trading in used electronics and video games for store credit, Target said.

The mass merchandiser said it expanded its Electronics Trade-In service to 1,490 stores with Target Mobile centers, and also added new product categories. The chain offers the program under a partnership with consumer electronics upgrade and trade-in company NextWorth, giving customers credit in return. The service is accepting calculators, DVDs, video games, Nintendo DS units, cell phones, iPods and iPads.