Zara's store in Melbourne has been awarded Gold certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
The LEED scoring system, promoted by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), is one of the world's most demanding sustainable architecture rating schemes.
The Melbourne flagship, located on the Bourke Street shopping strip, comprises three sales floors and incorporates a number of eco-efficient processes, such as:
- Thirty-seven per cent reduction in water use
- A lighting system which saves 10 per cent on energy use compared with that of a conventional shop
- A system for the selective collection of recyclables and specific protocols for recycling clothes hangers, security tags and delivery boxes
- Implementation of 14 bicycle racks for Zara customers and employees to promote alternative transportation and contribute to pollution reduction and other impacts from automobile use
- Increase levels of energy conservation by zoning the conditioned space and establishing active controls in response to space demand
- Green power contracted for two years in order to encourage the renewable energy technologies
- Seventy-eight per cent of the waste recycled during the construction process recovering resources back to the manufacturing process and thus reducing the use of raw materials
- Installation of permanent monitoring systems to ensure appropriate ventilation in the shop and improving occupants comfort and well-being
- Monitoring and maintenance of air quality during the construction process
- Use of low emitting materials for the finishes of the shop in order to reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants
- Implement measures to prevent the entry of pollutants into the shop susceptible of affecting indoor air quality
- Provide high level of employees' environmental control, thus enhancing lighting and thermal comfort
The Melbourne Zara store is also located near an extensive public transport network which encourages sustainable access, according to LEED certifications.
As a result of the accolade, [Zara parent company] Inditex Group has also identified the Zara Melbourne store as key to its "Sustainable Inditex 2011-2015" environmental plan, which lists store upgrades as one of the group's main projects.
According to Inditex Group, the store represents Zara's "commitment to environmental sustainability and energy efficiency" and as such, will be used as a benchmark for future outlets.
Moving forward, the group said it will look to apply stringent energy conservation, waste reduction and sustainability standards to each of the group's new stores and to renovations of existing stores.
The company also revealed the ultimate goal is to make 100 per cent of its stores eco-efficient by 2020.
This may include Zara's next Australian store, which the company recently confirmed will be opening in Westfield Bondi Junction.
The Bondi Junction store will mark the fashion chain's second Sydney store and fourth Australian outlet in total, following the success of stores in Melbourne, Sydney city, and Adelaide's Burnside emporium.