NTUC Fairprice's first eco-friendly supermarket aims to
get more Singaporeans to go green
Supermarket giant NTUC FairPrice wants its customers to think
green even before they step into its first eco-friendly supermarket
at City Square Mall.
At its newest outlet more green features and recycling facilities
have been fitted for customers' use.
These include the set-up of a reverse vending machine at the
entrance.
Those who desposit their used cans and plastic bottles will receive
a receipt which they can then redeem for discounted canned drinks
at NTUC Fairprice outlets.
The machine compacts and collects around 300 used cans and plastic
bottles daily.
The store also stocks up a range of over 400 biodegradable and
environmentally friendly products
One shopper Ong Yin Yin says shopping for 'green' products is
easier.
"They put all the green produce more upfront and their organic food
is displayed very near the entrance, so it kind of like makes you
want to choose the organic produce more than others."
The outlet also has dedicated check-out lanes for customers who
bring their own shopping bags.
It also uses energy-efficient lighting and chilling equipment which
has helped to lower energy consumption at the supermarket by 30 per
cent.
At the back of the store, an organic waste disposal machine that
uses little electricity decomposes expired food.
Although it cost 30 per cent more to set up the eco-friendly
supermarket, Fairprice hopes that shoppers will be more
environmentally aware and take positive steps towards protecting
the environment.
Gerry Lee is NTUC Fairprice's Chairman of the Green
Committee.
"We hope that the through the feature that we install, the energy
savings that we save from, can offset the increase in the cost or
expenses of setting up this store."
--938Live