Asda cave apples

Five caves will store up to 50,000 golden delicious apples

Asda has announced it will store up to 50,000 golden delicious apples in caves under the Italian Alps to reduce its carbon footprint.

The initiative, a world-first for a retailer, is in partnership with Italian apple supplier Melinda.

It aims to save 60 per cent of electricity needed to store the same quantity in a refrigerated warehouse, and is designed to reduce water consumption, land use and decrease C02 emissions.

The cave space in Val di Non, in the Trentino region of northern Italy, is located around 800 metres into the mountain. Each of the five storage spaces are around 144 by 60 metres, comparable to the size of two Boeing 747 aeroplanes.

“This is a really exciting project which we’ve been working on for over two years,” said IPL category manager Martin Smith. “The first time I visited the mountain site it was a completely unique and unforgettable experience, and it’s really exciting to know that our shoppers have the chance to enjoy apples with such an innovative story.”

The project is due for completion in 2019.