Building Greener Stores
We’re always looking for ways to improve the environmental performance of our stores.
One of the best ways to reduce our impact on the planet is to design and build our stores in an environmentally responsible way. We do this by utilizing energy and water saving strategies and by choosing to use green building materials and construction methods, and opening LEED® Certified stores.
What We’ve Been Doing
Since 2001, we’ve helped lead the work with other retailers and the USGBC to create a system to certify retail stores and store prototypes. This volume-certification process will pre-certify our green stores at the design, construction and operational strategy level. We’ll then be held accountable through spot checks and continued reviews to ensure that we are meeting the high standards we’ve set for ourselves. This is a huge opportunity for the USGBC and for retailers. Traditionally, LEED® certification has been accomplished one building at a time, making it difficult for retailers with hundreds of stores to participate.
The ‘green store’ success in Thailand
Starbucks Thailand has committed on to its green store initiative since 2000. In total, Starbucks Thailand achieved five LEED® certified stores with more than ten stores developing toward the green direction and awaiting official certification. The five LEED® certified stores are:
- Starbucks Crystal Design Center (Silver)
- Starbucks Mega Bangna (Certified)
- Starbucks Ban Chat (Certified)
- Starbucks INT Rama 3 (Certified)
- Starbucks Porto Chino (Gold) – Gold is the highest LEED® certification level Starbucks has received in Asia and the first Gold retail commercial interiors store for any company in Thailand to date.
In addition to designing and building green stores, Starbucks also emphasizes using recycled material. In 2012, Starbucks collaborated with Dr Singh Intrachooto, Faculty of Architecture, Kasetsart University on a “Starbucks Recycled Coffee Grounds Furniture” to use recycled Starbucks coffee grounds to produce the furniture currently being used at Starbucks Mega Bangna and other stores.
Our ongoing efforts to green our stores include a mix of design elements:
- Conserving energy by allowing air-conditioned stores to reach 24°C instead of 22°C on warm days
- Saving water by using high-blast nozzles to clean jugs instead of running water
- Installing low-flow valves throughout the store
- Installing cabinetry made from 90% post-industrial material (where available), with no added formaldehyde
- Improving lighting efficiency
- Using recycled flooring tiles
- Using wood products that are Forest Stewardship Council–certified (where available)
- Using paints with lower amounts of volatile organic chemicals
- Reducing our carbon footprint by sourcing building materials regionally whenever possible