New ShopRite Features Green Technologies

BRODHEADSVILLE, Pa. — A new ShopRite opening on Aug. 5 here will feature an array of green technologies, including solar panels, a bio-digester and an electric car charger.

The store, owned by the Kinsley family and part of the Keasbey, N.J.-based Wakefern cooperative, plans to install solar panels to its white roof, which can reduce energy use by about 20% in sunny weather.

The store will also employ a waste-to-water machine — the bio-digester — to convert organic waste that would otherwise be bound for a landfill into water; the machine has the potential to eliminate 240 tons of organic waste annually.

In addition, the store will be the first in the area to feature free electric car charging stations in front of the store, which will be located in specially marked parking spaces. 

Related story: Student to Audit ShopRites’ Energy Usage

The ShopRite of Brodheadsville will include the latest energy-saving and sustainable technologies in refrigeration and lighting, including glass doors on the dairy and freezer cases, LED and T-8 lighting, environmentally friendly refrigerant systems and a storewide energy reduction system. Energy usage will be reduced by as much as 60% for refrigeration of products and as much as 50% for store lighting.

On a different note, the store will also feature special artifacts, including an animatronic clucking chicken and mooing cow, vintage cars (such as an original wood-paneled 1926 Model T), antiques, model trains in the checkout area, memorabilia from Coca-Cola and cash registers from the early days of the grocery business.

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