Coles is adding to its environmental concept stores with the opening of its new Ropes Crossing store next month.

In association with the Green Cooling Council the store has installed one of Australia’s first natural refrigeration systems, which claims to eliminate up to 700 tonnes from the store’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Coles Ropes Crossing is the retailer’s fifth environmental concept store. These stores are used as testing grounds for environmental initiatives, while appearing the same to shoppers.

The new supermarket also includes other environmental improvements such as night blinds on refrigeration cases to reduce energy use during non-trading periods; and low-energy LED lighting in freezer cases, including freezer aisle motion sensors to turn lights off when there are no shoppers around.