Food-to-go operator Greggs has launched its first eco drive-thru, fitted with a range of new sustainability initiatives.
The site, located in Easton Lane in Winchester in Hampshire, will test new eco-features – including materials used for elements of the build and in-shop operational initiatives – to then be rolled out across other Greggs shops.
Sustainable initiatives in the new shop include sun tubes to reduce artificial lighting, low energy light fittings and daylight harvesting technology, and solar panels to power all of its in-store digital signage.
There is also a rainwater harvesting unit, which has capacity of 3,000 litres and is expected to reduce water usage by around 13%. Furthermore, heat pump air conditioning and overdoor heater systems will work in conjunction to balance air temperature, with a heat recovery system utilising warm air from refrigeration extraction to warm the air, while a heat pump system uses surrounding air to heat water.
The company launched its first eco shop in Northampton in 2022, to trial initiatives including knee-operated sinks, under-counter water heaters, energy efficient ovens and more sustainable refrigerant gas. However, as new technologies developed, the company said a new testbed was required to explore innovative sustainability initiatives.
Tony Rowson, property director at Greggs, said: “We’re excited to have launched our first eco drive-thru. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved with our first eco shop, which means we can now test further materials and initiatives in this new unit, bringing us another step closer to reaching our net zero carbon objective.”
