Greggs has debuted a new ‘eco’ drive-thru on Easton Lane in Winchester as it aims to ramp up sustainability and reduce its overall environmental footprint, according to a report from The Grocer.

The new site, which opened its doors in January, is designed to decrease waste and lower water and energy use. Greggs drive-thru will be a pilot location to test out its features, which are set to be deployed across other locations.

The retailer has plans to grow its retail footprint while also strengthening its sustainability initiatives.

Greggs has been building on its sustainability pledges, saving 5m meals from waste with Food To Go in April and also launching an affordable outlet network to deal with food insecurity.

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Its new drive-thru features solar panels, low-energy light sources and a rainwater harvesting unit to decrease water consumption.

Additionally, Greggs added a heat recovery system and a heat pump system as well as more eco-friendly air conditioning and outdoor heating.

Greggs had previously opened its first eco-shop in Northampton in 2020, which featured sustainable elements such as energy-efficient ovens, knee-operated sinks and under-counter water heaters.

Tony Rowson, Greggs’ property manager said to the Grocer: “We have a fast-moving programme. So we can start moving a lot of these features into not just drive-thru shops, but purpose-built pods, industrial estates, supermarkets—all the different locations that we’re opening up.”

Moving forward, Greggs plans to continue boosting its sustainability efforts and is aiming to open 260 new sites in 2025, with a goal of having half (50%) of its estate with eco-elements.