The Shanghai Starbucks Greener Store Lab is a new concept that serves as a lab focused on circularity, meaning the elimination of waste in both store construction and operations.
The project team set a goal of ensuring that approximately 50% of the building materials could be recycled or biodegraded at the end of the store’s life. Working with the RESET Materials Standard as the framework for quantification and auditing, the project team achieved this 50% goal. Circularity strategies included the creation of a modular bar and back-of-house system that can be easily dismantled and reassembled.
Waste audits were conducted within current Starbucks Reserve Stores to quantify the success rate of the existing waste sorting program. The audits identified opportunities to optimize results via design, such as guiding users to better separate waste into organics, recyclables, and residuals. Other circularity initiatives include affordable reusable cups and Starbucks green aprons made from recycled PET bottles via advanced plastic-to-textile technologies.
Smart Internet of Things technologies are used to better manage air conditioning and lighting, reducing carbon emissions from operations by around 15% compared to a regular Starbucks store of the same size. The store is also the first Starbucks on the Chinese mainland to be powered by renewable energy purchased through a nationally certified platform.
Related Stories
Sustainability | Mar 31, 2020
Passive house standard becoming increasingly popular for multifamily housing development
Residents reap healthier indoor environment, lower utility bills.
Plumbing | Mar 13, 2020
Pioneer Industries launches new website
Pioneer Industries launches new website
Sustainability | Mar 12, 2020
Containing CO2 during construction
New tools make it easier to measure embodied carbon in materials before they get used for construction.
Sustainability | Mar 2, 2020
City of Buffalo to launch the largest environmental impact bond in the country
EIBs offer a novel approach to pay for high-impact projects based in part on the environmental, social, and/ or economic outcomes they generate.
Architects | Mar 2, 2020
Two ‘firsts’ for Sasaki and LEO A DALY
Following an industry trend, the firms hire chiefs of technology and sustainability, respectively.
Sustainability | Feb 26, 2020
Sustainability in a material world
The concepts of embodied carbon, zero waste, and deconstruction and reuse often run on parallel tracks.
Sustainability | Feb 12, 2020
KPF unveils The Pinnacle at Central Wharf, a high-performance, resilient tower
The project will reconnect Downtown Boston to the waterfront.
Sustainability | Feb 6, 2020
Passive House picks up steam
Passive solutions that reduce a building’s energy consumption could get more viable as cities toughen CO2 emissions limits.
Contractors | Jan 20, 2020
Wellness is for builders, not just for buildings
New research on wellness in the construction sector highlights interventions that could be effective in addressing dehydration, weight management, poor air quality, and stress.
Green | Jan 10, 2020
How the new EC3 tool raises the bar on collective action
Nearly 50 AEC industry organizations partnered to develop the groundbreaking Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator.