What Does a Coffee Certified Green Store Require?

Starbucks opened its second certified green store in mainland China in Suzhou on January 14, following the first Greener Store in Shanghai. The store must meet LEED's highest-level certification and strict standards for energy, water and waste: mercury-free LED lighting, low-flow faucets, 100% recycling of coffee grounds, and employee aprons made from recycled PET bottles.

Each green store cuts carbon emissions by about 10.57 tons and saves roughly 301.7 tons of water a year compared with a regular store, and the Suzhou site buys green electricity through a certificate subscription platform. Starbucks plans 60 certified green stores across mainland China within a year, then aims to extend the standard to new and renovated stores. Rainforest Alliance certified coffee beans reflect the same sourcing logic.

Following Shanghai's "Greener Store," Starbucks' second "green store" in mainland China officially opened in Suzhou on January 14, marking the launch of its nationwide green store development plan. Such stores must obtain LEED's highest-level certification and meet strict standards in energy conservation, water conservation, and waste handling—for example, fully using mercury-free LED lighting and low-flow faucets, recycling 100% of coffee grounds, and making employee aprons from recycled PET plastic bottles. This Suzhou store also purchases green electricity through a green certificate subscription platform, and its interior uses reclaimed wood and red bricks. Compared with regular stores, each green store can reduce carbon emissions by about 10.57 tons and save about 301.7 tons of water annually. Starbucks has long encouraged customers to bring their own cups, and its first green store, "Greener Store," was also the first to use paper straws and strictly enforce waste sorting, setting an example for the industry.

On January 14, Starbucks' second "green store" in mainland China officially opened in Suzhou. Following Shanghai's "Greener Store," this is Starbucks' second certified green store in China.

Starbucks previously stated that it plans to open 60 certified "green stores" across mainland China over the next year, and gradually extend this standard to all new stores and upgraded or renovated stores, continuing to support the low-carbon transformation of the domestic and even global retail industry. With the opening of the second green store, Starbucks' plan to promote green store development nationwide has officially begun.

What exactly does the so-called "green store" certification system include? It is understood that the certification was jointly developed by Starbucks and an authoritative institution and is the highest level within LEED green building certification. The certification covers multiple areas, including energy conservation, water resource management, and waste handling. Stores that pass certification must use high-efficiency, low-energy appliances, use 100% mercury-free LED lighting, install low-flow faucets, and strictly enforce waste sorting.

In addition, coffee grounds produced by the stores will be 100% recycled, and the aprons worn by employees are also made from processed recycled PET beverage bottles. This green store in Suzhou will also purchase green electricity on the national green certificate subscription platform to increase the proportion of renewable energy used as much as possible.

The store interior uses recyclable, recycled, or biodegradable materials, such as wood recovered from renovations at other Starbucks stores across the country to make tabletops, or reclaimed red bricks used for table legs. Starbucks said this design makes it easier to disassemble and reassemble in the future.

It is reported that compared with a regular Starbucks store of the same size, a green store can reduce carbon emissions by about 10.57 tons and save about 301.7 tons of water each year. Based on 60 stores, this would reduce carbon emissions by about 634.2 tons and save about 18,102 tons of water annually.

In addition to creating green stores, Starbucks has always encouraged consumers to bring their own cups when buying coffee, in order to reduce the use of disposable paper cups and lessen the environmental pollution caused by the plastic film inside paper cups. Starbucks' "Greener Store," the first Starbucks in China to obtain green store certification, was also the first to introduce paper straws and strictly implement a waste sorting system, setting a good example for other Starbucks stores and even the entire food and beverage industry.

Image source: Internet

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.