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Supermarket turbine - Source: ONE News -
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Winds of change could be blowing through the New Zealand supermarket industry with the opening of an eco-friendly supermarket near Christchurch.
The Lincoln store looks as usual on the inside.
But on the outside, two 10 metre tall wind turbines tower overhead.
They generate enough power for most of the lights.
"It's exciting to look out and actually see the wind turbines going and know that they're generating power for us," says New World Owner Operator Helen Burnett.
But it will take them a while to get back the $40,000 investment.
"There's always a cost in going green, but there should be a benefit in that it's providing free power," says Steve Anderson from Foodstuffs.
The carbon saved is the equivalent of planting over 2,000 pine trees.
And the green approach does not end there.
Rainwater from the roof irrigates the garden and there are compostable cornstarch containers for food.
"It's only about two or three cents more expensive and we're prepared to absorb the cost," says Burnett.
The are recycling at the fridges too. While it is all cold out the front, out the back the unit is really hot, and that is what they are using to heat their hot water.
Their first customers were full of praise as they filled their trolleys under lights powered by wind.
