Starbucks to open Seattle-area store made mostly out of four upcycled shipping containers

Nevin Barich

LOS ANGELES , December 12, 2011 (Industry Intelligence) – According to an article in the New York Times, Starbucks is about to open a Seattle-area store made mostly out of four upcycled shipping containers, The Environmental Leader reported Dec. 12.

Starbucks spokesman Alan Hilowitz said the prototype might be followed by more container-based stores. He said Starbucks was attracted to the idea of re-using the containers that transport its tea and coffee from abroad, and also liked the portability of the construction.

If a given site is only available for two or three years, the company could put a container-based store there, then break it down and move it somewhere else.

Last spring, Starbucks said in its Global Responsibility Report that it’s on track to meet a goal that beginning in December 2010, all new, company-owned stores will be built to achieve LEED certification.

Last year, Starbucks completed the pilot phase for LEED volume certification, with 10 store design and construction projects audited and approved by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The primary source of this article is The Environmental Leader, Fort Collins, Colorado, on Dec. 12, 2011.

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