International News: Seven-Eleven Japan to Reduce Eco-Footprint
TOKYO -- Seven-Eleven Japan plans to equip all of its new convenience stores with LED-based signboards and outdoor lighting, in an effort to reduce its emission of global warming gases, according to the Web site Greenpacks.org.
The switch will allow the retailer to cut its carbon-dioxide emissions by 3 percent, or 1.8 tons per store per year, multiplied by 1,000 new stores each year, the report stated.
Its parent, Seven & i Holdings Co., estimates it will spend more than 1 billion yen annually on LED lighting. While an initial investment per new store will cost 1 to 2 million yen, Seven-Eleven Japan is expected to use roughly 75 percent less power than fluorescent lights, thus getting back its investment. LED lights also last four to five years, compared with approximately one year for fluorescent lights, Greenpacks.org reported.
Rival convenience store operators, including Lawson Inc., FamilyMart Co. and Circle K Sunkus Co., have been testing LED-based signboards. But Seven-Eleven Japan is the first to take the plunge on a large scale, according to the report, which noted Japanese c-store operators are also turning to more power-efficient air conditioning to reduce emissions.
The switch will allow the retailer to cut its carbon-dioxide emissions by 3 percent, or 1.8 tons per store per year, multiplied by 1,000 new stores each year, the report stated.
Its parent, Seven & i Holdings Co., estimates it will spend more than 1 billion yen annually on LED lighting. While an initial investment per new store will cost 1 to 2 million yen, Seven-Eleven Japan is expected to use roughly 75 percent less power than fluorescent lights, thus getting back its investment. LED lights also last four to five years, compared with approximately one year for fluorescent lights, Greenpacks.org reported.
Rival convenience store operators, including Lawson Inc., FamilyMart Co. and Circle K Sunkus Co., have been testing LED-based signboards. But Seven-Eleven Japan is the first to take the plunge on a large scale, according to the report, which noted Japanese c-store operators are also turning to more power-efficient air conditioning to reduce emissions.