How to Make Your Convenience Store More Sustainable with Reliable Refrigeration

Today’s business landscape is changing. Consumers have become far more conscious of businesses’ impact on the environment, and factor this knowledge into their decision-making. Choosing to invest in sustainable business practices is not only good for the planet but also for your business. Rising energy costs put pressure on profit margins, and with refrigeration being a significant cost for many small food and drink businesses, it’s wise to consider investing in more sustainable and energy-efficient refrigeration. Sustainable businesses are built on low costs and high sales, so working on reducing your energy costs while promoting your green business credentials to customers will help you to improve both factors that are crucial to building a more sustainable business.

Choose your refrigeration units wisely

Look at the refrigeration in your store, is it efficient? Older models are notoriously power-hungry and certain styles, such as open-fronted unitsm have extremely poor energy efficiency. A modern energy efficient commercial refrigerator rated as a B or a C, is equivalent to an older A+++, and many of our units are rated as a B or even an A. Older open-fronted units are incredibly expensive to run and environmentally unfriendly. Think about whether you should replace your open-fronted units with glass door units to improve your green credentials. We know that customers can dislike change, but consider it a PR opportunity, where you can promote your research and investment in improving your business’s green credentials.

Maintain, don’t replace to improve your green footprint

While we would always advocate upgrading your refrigeration to more energy-efficient models, you do need to consider the repercussions every time you upgrade your units. Part of the impact on the environment is in building a new refrigeration unit, as well as disposing of the old unit. The longer you can make your refrigeration unit last, the lower the environmental impact will be. Regular maintenance and cleaning will help to extend the life of the unit. Checking seals, gaskets and coils will enable you to spot a minor problem, which can be easily fixed, rather than the unaddressed problem magnifying and causing irreversible damage. Modern refrigerators are made with natural refrigerants, such as hydrocarbons (HCs), which occur naturally in the atmosphere. When released they have little impact on the environment. Older refrigeration units use hydrofluorocarbon gases (HFCs), contributing to greenhouse gases when released. If you’re upgrading from an older refrigeration unit make sure that your old unit is disposed of correctly.

Go green to build your brand

Protecting the environment is imperative to protect our future. Building a sustainable, eco-friendly business will also put you in a more robust commercial position than your competitors. Businesses running old, inefficient refrigeration systems will be seriously pressured by rising energy costs and increasing consumer awareness. Investing in your business will help to improve your stability in an uncertain world. Don’t miss the opportunity to market the green credentials of your business. Whether you’ve chosen to stock local produce for reduced food miles, upgraded your refrigeration to improve energy efficiency, or changed from open-fronted to glass-door cabinets, you need to share this with your customers. Consumers have become far more savvy and are aware of the impact businesses are having on the climate. Many consumers are actively looking for ethical and green companies to improve their own carbon footprints. Simple posters in store showing what you’re doing to improve your green footprint, a local press release or a social media campaign can all help to spread the word. Optimise your investment by sharing your story with your local community and potential customers. Attracting new customers could quickly pay back your investment in increased sales.

TEFCOLD brings sustainable refrigeration to businesses

We believe in building a sustainable future. Our refrigeration units are carefully designed and engineered to be as green as possible. We’re encouraging our customers to make green choices and to consider the environmental impact their decisions have. We’ve invested in research and development to bring you the best sustainable refrigeration for your business. We all need to work together to build a sustainable world for the future. Choose wisely for your business today. We’re here for you, with advice and support on how to give your business a brighter future. Simply talk to our helpful and knowledgeable team here at TEFCOLD, today on 01332 850090.