Food retailers tread a fine line when it comes to having enough stock to satisfy their customers but keeping spoilage and waste to a minimum.

Some best practices can help retailers prevent food waste and improve information in the supply chain:

Food and product display cases are integral features of the customer browsing experience and vital to maintaining product quality, especially cooled displays and refrigeration cases. 

Little-known but effective display case practices can help shops and handlers save on energy and improve overall performance. Interaction between display cases and the surroundings is one of the most important aspects. 

Companies planning to retrofit their building or to implement an energy efficiency project can often face difficulties in terms of the most effective solution to measure energy performance and guage the benefits of the project.

The biggest savings in retail and wholesale can be made in areas where the energy consumption is highest, such as in lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration.

In each of these main areas, there are clear opportunities to save energy:

Solar shading describes a number of systems used to control the amount of heat and natural light that is admitted into a building.

As an integral part of the 'building envelope' in buildings with good energy performance, solar shading has evolved from a 'component' or add-on to being part and parcel of the natural light and solar management system.

Shading is a cost-effective way of delivering energy savings up to 60 times its CO2 footprint over a 20-year lifespan.

Tackling food waste as a priority

• Welsh government explored ways to reduce food and packaging waste
• Tackling food waste alone saves more than 16 tonnes of CO2 and over € 4 000 (£ 3 600) in costs per year

The Welsh government employs around 5 500 staff and provides catering services at 10 of its 38 locations. In 2012, WRAP undertook a Resource Optimisation Review to identify opportunities for improving resource efficiency and advised on the wording of a catering contract tender.

Enlightening initiative...

• European city wants to become greener, safer and more prosperous 
• New low-energy street lighting identified as key, resulting in three-year replacement programme

Swansea Council's 28 000 street lights were consuming high levels of energy so it was decided at one point to rationalise their use; 2 100 were turned off to save energy and a further 800 removed for safety reasons. But a more strategic decision was to invest in new low-energy lighting all round. 

High standards deliver energy savings

• Three-tiered audit vital to high energy management standards at pioneering Finnish gyproc plant
• Audits coupled with real-time energy monitoring and fully engaged staff keep a close eye on efficiency in the plant 

Saint-Gobain Construction Products’ Gyproc plant in Kirkkonummi was one of the first industrial plants in Finland to have its energy management system certified under the ISO 50001 standard in recognition of the plant’s dedicated energy-saving work.

Flexible working environment, flexible furnishing

Driving eco-change...