PriceSmart Portmore keen on limiting environmental impact
New club set to open next Tuesday
Published:Saturday | April 9, 2022 | 12:08 AMAinsworth Morris/Staff Reporter
The 50th PriceSmart store globally, which will open its doors to customers in Portmore, St Catherine, next Tuesday, will be a ‘Green Club’ aimed at limiting its carbon footprint in Jamaica.
In 2020, Jamaica became the first Caribbean nation to submit a tougher climate action plan under the Paris Agreement by adding targets of forestry and control of greenhouse gas emissions from energy production, with which the PriceSmart team aims to align its operations.
Dhanraj Mahabir, senior vice-president for operations at PriceSmart locations in Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, US Virgin Islands and Aruba, says the building, with 4,200 square metres of sales floor on 20,000 square metres of land, was constructed with PriceSmart’s Green Club concept in mind.
“The Green Club concept is aligned with our beliefs and commitment to be good stewards of the environment, mitigating our impact and being market leaders in building facilities that serve as models for innovation,” Mahabir said.
He added: “PriceSmart’s initiative to use solar panels has reduced CO2 emissions by 19,784 tonnes. The decrease in this carbon footprint is equivalent to saving 42,850 trees. Additionally, an intelligence system will be employed to control power to lighting and air conditioning equipment that will allow us to remotely monitor the club’s energy consumption.”
Speaking during a virtual press conference to launch the new Portmore store on Friday, Mahabir said PriceSmart members can be assured that its environmental impact will be monitored closely by the company’s environmental, social and governance department, which assures that stores across all markets continuously work to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
“We have introduced a new generation of smart-shopping clubs. The building utilises LED lighting solutions that offer energy savings, higher versatility in installation and a reduction in maintenance and replacement cost due to the extended lifespan. Sensor lighting for our administrative offices also assists with reducing our energy consumption,” he disclosed.
“In fact, PriceSmart has installed solar arrays in 30 more clubs in nine countries. These include Barbados, Nicaragua, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala and Red Hills [Road] in Jamaica,” he added.
The Portmore PriceSmart location will open at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, April 12, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony set for Monday evening.
New and current PriceSmart members will enjoy a larger, modern shopping club at the Portmore location, offering for sale items such as groceries, fresh produce, electronics, furniture, and beauty and personal care products. A fast food service and an optical service, which includes free vision screenings, will also be available.