Amazon Fresh Offers Inside Look At Its First Net-Zero Carbon Grocery Store

As part of its plan to become more eco-friendly, Amazon announced its newest Fresh outlet in Seattle is seeking certification for what is the brand’s first zero-carbon grocery store. 

The 35,000-sqft store is expected to save almost 185 tons of carbon emissions annually, which is the equivalent to driving around the entire circumference of the Earth 18 times. 

“With our newest Amazon Fresh store, we are taking the next step on our path to becoming a net-zero carbon business by 2040, and we welcome customers to experience this firsthand while shopping with us in the store,” said Stephanie Landry, Vice President of Amazon Grocery. 

Previously, Tesco had launched a similar initiative in 2010, when it built a grocery store using sustainable wood, LED lighting, and fueled its heat and power plant with renewable energy. 

In the case of Amazon, its new store has been equipped with a carbon dioxide-based refrigeration system, which the company says can reduce greenhouse emissions by 38 metric tons per year. 

Furthermore, it has opted to use steel byproducts in its concrete flooring to reduce embodied carbon by 40%, which is typically used in manufacturing and installing flooring.

Of course, it’s tapping on electric power, with a fully-electric kitchen space to prepare fresh food, eliminating the need for fossil fuels. The store will be 100% powered by renewable electricity from its energy projects, as it looks to switch all its operations to renewable energy options by 2025. 

“In order to deliver on our commitments to The Climate Pledge, we must work together across all areas of our business to develop solutions to decarbonize,” explained Kara Hurst, Vice President of Worldwide Sustainability at Amazon. 

“It’s meaningful progress to open our latest Amazon Fresh Store seeking net-zero carbon certification, and I’m proud of the innovation and technology that the store offers to customers and employees, and for the environment,” she added. 

[via Amazon, SlashGear, and GeekWire, cover image via Amazon]