Food Lion Plans LEED-Certified Store

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Food Lion broke ground here yesterday on what it said would be the chain’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified store.

It also would be the first LEED supermarket in South Carolina when it opens in the fourth quarter, Food Lion said.

The store will feature a number of environmentally friendly features, including:

• High-efficiency lighting that dims lights based on natural sunlight in the store or when areas such as offices or restrooms are not in use;

• LED lighting in the frozen food cases;

• Bike racks and preferred parking for low-emitting vehicles;

• Low-flow and sensor-activated water fixtures in restrooms;

• Native plant species that minimize irrigation requirements; and

• In—store environmental education kiosks and recycling facilities.

The store also will use “a significant amount” of building materials manufactured locally and will seek to recycle construction waste.

“By building the first LEED grocery store in our company’s history and in South Carolina, we will reduce energy costs by more than 20% compared with a typical supermarket as well as conserve 44% more water than other Food Lion stores,” said Kyle Mitchell, Food Lion’s vice president of store development.

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