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Office Depot’s First “Green” Store
On July 13, 2008, Office Depot will celebrate the grand opening of its first green store to
the public in the City of Austin, TX. The store’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be
celebrated on July 10, 2008 at 2:00 pm with local dignitaries, environmental Office Depot
is the first company to achieve volume LEED pre-certification from the United States
Green Building Council for its new construction store prototype.
Office Depot’s new Austin, TX green store will reduce the Company’s consumption of
resources, energy, water and harsh chemicals through a wide range of earth-friendly
strategies. Specifically, the store features the following:
- T5 Energy-Efficient Lighting throughout the store
- Over 50 Ciralight SunTracker active skylights that adjust with the path of the sun, providing natural light for approximately 90 percent of the store
- Solar panels on the roof generate about 10 percent of the store’s energy needs and power the exterior Office Depot® logo and plaza sign
- Sensors in break rooms, restrooms and managers’ offices that automatically shut off lighting when rooms are not occupied
- High-efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units and insulation
- Steel decking and steel joists in the store are composed of over 85 percent recycled steel
- Water-efficient fixtures to reduce the buildings overall water use by over 40
percent. This includes exterior xeriscaping (a water-saving landscaping technique)
with native plants that do not require additional irrigation; dual flush toilets; low flow
urinals; and automatic shutoff sensors on lavatories, which will shut off after 15
seconds
- Polished concrete floors, made of near 30 percent recycled material, which help to divert a large amount of construction materials from landfills
- Interior partitions that are composed of more than 95 percent recycled materials
- A highly-reflective membrane on the roof so that heat from the sun is not absorbed
by the roof. This keeps the inside of the store cool – requiring less energy for air
conditioning
The Office Depot green store in Austin also:
- Uses all low-emitting materials including the carpet, paint and adhesives within the store
- Employs an Energy Management System that allows tracking of energy usage and trends from one central location
- Purchased renewable green power credits, which helps reduce global warming
- Sourced 100 percent of cement and 90 percent of steel from suppliers within 500 miles of the site. This helps to support the local economy and reduce the environmental impact by using less fuel for transportation
- Recycled approximately 80 percent of the construction’s demolition waste diverting it from the landfill
- Purchased recycled shopping carts that were refurbished with a reduced amount of aerosol spray paint
- The store has a comprehensive recycling program, diverting materials from the landfill including: cardboard, paper, beverage containers, ink and toner cartridges, technology, cell phones, rechargeable batteries and plastic film.
- Offers reserve parking for low-emitting, fuel-efficient vehicles and customers that carpool
- Provides bicycle racks outside for customers and employees
- Supports associates who bike to work by offering a bicycle maintenance kit, including free use of a bicycle pump and free bicycle tire patches
- Provides an “Alternative Transportation Education Board” outside the store,
informing customers and employees of alternative transportation options available
within Austin, TX
- Displays signage within and throughout the store educating our customers and associates of why the store is green
- Features a wide assortment of green products throughout the store
- Offers an in-store recycling center – a designated recycling services area for
cellular phone and rechargeable batteries, ink and toner cartridges, paper and technology
- The wheel stops at each parking space are made from recycled rubber tires
- The concrete parking pavement contains recycled content and its white color reflects the sun, making it a “cool” and green parking lot
For additional press materials about Office Depot and our commitment to the
environment, please visit http://mediarelations.officedepot.cc/environment.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Melissa Perlman, Manager of Public Relations, Office Depot, 561-438-0704, Melissa.Perlman@officedepot.com
Christine Dardet, Dardet Public Relations, 954-753-5038 (office), 561-866-7922 (mobile), chris@dardetpr.com
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