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 | Jan 2, 2020
Willis Tower becomes largest U.S. building to earn LEED Platinum
The tower earned the Platinum designation under LEED's latest v4.1 rating system.
75 Top Building Products | Dec 16, 2019
101 Top Products for 2019
Building Design+Construction readers and editors select their top building products for the past 12 months in the fourth-annual 101 Top Products report.
75 Top Building Products | Dec 12, 2019
Top Building Envelope Products for 2019
Sto's beetle-inspired exterior coating and Dörken Systems' UV-resistant vapor-permeable barrier are among the 28 new building envelope products to make Building Design+Construction's 2019 101 Top Products report.
Sustainability | Dec 3, 2019
This world-first facility will turn human remains into soil
Olson Kundig is designing the project.
Sustainability | Nov 13, 2019
Citicape House will feature Europe’s largest living wall
Sheppard Robson designed the project.
Sustainability | Nov 8, 2019
South Korea plans to build three hydrogen-powered cities by 2022
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport is in charge of the project.
Wood | Oct 24, 2019
Could mass timber be a game changer for stadium design?
Projects throughout the U.S. and Canada showcase the design and environmental traits of large-scale wood sports facilities.
Sustainability | Aug 15, 2019
Paris will soon be home to the world’s largest rooftop farm
Agripolis is spearheading the project.
Sustainability | Aug 2, 2019
This will become the first carbon-neutral social housing project in Italy
Barreca & La Varra designed the project.
Sustainability | Jun 7, 2019
Workplace wellness: Top 3 tips for Fitwel certification
How can thoughtful design encourage healthier choices, lifestyles, and work environments?