Bakery chain, Greggs, has launched its first ever Eco Drive-Thru, featuring a raft of new sustainability features to reduce the site’s environmental impact, including reducing waste, using less water and lowering energy consumption.

Opening in Winchester, the Eco Drive-Thru will be a test bed for piloting eco-friendly features, which – if successful – can be later rolled out across other Greggs sites. The Drive-Thru is Gregg’s second ‘Eco Shop’, having launched its first green concept store in Northampton in 2022.

Key sustainability features include ‘sun tubes’, which redirect sunlight from the roof into the store to reduce electricity. These will be supported by low-energy light fittings and daylight harvesting technology, while all digital signage will be powered by solar panels.

Rainwater harvesting at the site is also expected to reduce water usage by around -13% and it plans to use heat pump air conditioning to further reduce energy use.

“As a leader in our sector, we take our responsibility to do right by the planet and communities we operate in seriously, and we do all that we can to make changes for the better,” Tony Rowson, Property Director at Greggs, said.

He added that the Eco-Shop and Drive-Thru will enable it to “test further materials and initiatives” to help it reach its Net Zero carbon objective.