SmartPly's new coated site hoarding product SiteProtect is being used for perimeter security during the construction of the two latest eco-store developments for Tesco PLC.

Tesco's high standards of sustainability and environmental responsibility are demanded not only of in-store products and suppliers, but of the maintenance and construction of new and existing stores throughout the world. Tesco's mandate to 'lead by example' includes:

  - reducing the footprint of their existing buildings by 50% by 2020 (compared with 2006),

 - ensuring all new buildings, on average, emit 50% less CO2e* by 2020 compared to an equivalent store in 2006,

 - continuing to map and publish the total direct carbon footprint of the Tesco business across all the countries in which they operate, and

 - seeking to restrict air transport to less than 1% of their products

Since 2006, Tesco has built a series of environmental stores which test new technologies and designs to save energy and reduce CO2e. Each store has achieved significantly lower environmental impacts than the previous one and many of the innovations have also been incorporated into existing and standard stores.

Construction has already started on the world's first zero carbon Tesco Superstore in Ramsey, Peterborough. Scheduled to open in November this year, the zero carbon store is using engineered glulam for the timber frame and clad in larch composite timber panels. Work has also started on the £18m development due to open in spring 2010 at Wellparks, on the outskirts of the Crediton in Devon. Tesco corporate affairs manager Tony Fletcher said: "The Crediton store will be as green as we can make it."

In keeping with Tesco's commitment to sustainability and the environment, SmartPly's new SiteProtect coated hoarding panel was specified for the site hoarding of these latest construction sites for its FSC certification, its durability, the short distance from the manufacturing facilities in Ireland, and for its coating of a smooth heavy-duty exterior cross-linked polymer surface treatment, making it both time and cost effective.

SmartPly is part of the panel products division of Coillte, the Irish forestry and forest products company. SiteProtect is offered in 2440mm x 1220mm x 18mm panels, and is available from all good SmartPly stockists for both internal and external applications. Full product information and technical details are available from www.smartply.com/siteprotect.

11 August 2009