Bennington Hannaford achieves LEED certification

 

For Immediate Release
March 20, 2012

Contact:
Eric Blom
207-885-3132

Hannaford Bennington store becomes first existing retail location in Vermont to achieve LEED certification

BENNINGTON, Vermont – Hannaford Supermarkets announced today that its Bennington store, located at 141 Hannaford Square, has become the first existing retail structure in Vermont to achieve silver LEED certification from the United States Green Building Council. The certification also marks the first LEED project of any kind in Bennington County.

To reach the benchmark of silver LEED for Existing Buildings and Maintenance, Hannaford incorporated a number of innovative operational practices and procedures to certify and recognize sustainable policies and environmentally preferred practices at the Bennington store, including focused efforts to reduce waste volume, streamline recycling procedures, increase energy efficiency and improve indoor air quality.  

“Hannaford Supermarkets strongly believes that what is good for the environment is good for business. We are thrilled to receive this esteemed certification from the United States Green Building Council and hope that our work is encouraging to other businesses and existing retail operations in Vermont,” said Hannaford Supermarkets Vermont District Manager Andy Willette. “We look forward to incorporating these new environmentally-friendly practices at all our stores to further reduce our environmental footprint while maintaining competitive prices and creating a more pleasant atmosphere for our associates and customers.”

The Bennington store’s certification is based on its results during a five month certification period from January through May 2011. During this time, Hannaford reduced its waste volume by 38 percent, recycled 137 tons of material, and achieved an overall waste diversion rate of 85 percent, which is significantly higher than the industry standard among supermarkets.

Hannaford also installed a heat reclamation system that uses recycled heat from the refrigerated display cases to heat the store, thereby reducing the amount of propane used for heating by 70 percent and resulting in a reduction of 216 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Additionally, the Bennington store maintains an EPA Energy Star rating of 82 out of a possible 100 points, indicating top performance in energy efficiency according to an analysis of data standards among the building’s industry peers.

“The Vermont Green Building Network congratulates Hannaford Supermarkets on achieving LEED silver certification at its Bennington store. A green retrofit of an existing building is much more viable and practical than construction of a new building,” said Vermont Green Building Network President Jesse Robbins. “In a state like Vermont, with older and more mature buildings, there is enormous potential for energy savings and other benefits through upgrading of current structures. We’d love to see more companies follow Hannaford’s lead, especially in the greening of existing buildings.”

The Bennington LEED certification builds upon Hannaford’s sustained history of environmental stewardship in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy technologies, recycling and responsible sourcing.

In 2009, Hannaford opened the first supermarket certified at the platinum LEED level by the U.S. Green Building Council in Augusta, ME, which serves as a learning laboratory for Hannaford’s sustainability activities.

Hannaford has also received LEED certification at its stores in Duanesburg, NY and Skowhegan, ME.

About Hannaford Supermarkets
Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, operates 179 stores in the Northeast. Stores are located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. All Hannaford stores feature Guiding Stars, America’s first storewide nutrition navigation system and most stores have full-service pharmacies. Hannaford employs more than 26,000 associates. Additional information can be found at www.hannaford.com.

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