Recycling and reusable shopping bags are one thing, but these retailers take sustainability far beyond the basics. From waterless urinals to package-less groceries, these retail storefronts have green practices at the core of their business models on Earth Day and every day.

TaiKoo Hui Guangzhou Mall

In March 2017, this 1.3M SF mall in Guangzhou, China, became the world’s first LEED Platinum enclosed shopping center under the existing buildings operations and maintenance qualifier. Owner Swire Properties uses waterless urinals, graywater flushing and repurposes food waste as compost. Lighting, HVAC and all energy systems prioritize efficiency without requiring large amounts of capital to operate. 

Zero Market

This newly opened shop in Denver is part of a growing trend of stores that aim to prevent some of the 175 million tons of garbage Americans produce annually from reaching landfills. This 600 SF package-free store promotes a circular economy by selling more than 800 groceries, toiletries and household items without packaging. Customers can bring their own containers (think Mason jars and canvas bags) from home or purchase in-store. Most products are free of plastic, toxins, chemicals, preservatives and animal testing. The market also offers environmentally focused events such as education classes and gardening workshops.

TreeHouse

Austin-based TreeHouse is a home improvement store centered around sustainability and health. When TreeHouse opens its second location in Dallas this June, the store will be the first energy positive retail location in the U.S. By first reducing the amount of energy TreeHouse needs with daylight, LED lighting and heat load reduction tactics, and then generating its own energy with solar panels, the store will put energy back into the grid. A Tesla Powerpack will serve as a power core to store solar power. In addition to selling smart-home brands like Nest and Haiku, TreeHouse offers consultations on greening practices like rainwater harvesting and air sealing.

Green Depot

With a name like Green Depot, the selection of eco-friendly building materials like insulation (yes, it exists), and home essentials like paint and appliances should come as no surprise. Green Depot has 10 stores in the U.S. and several more distribution centers for e-commerce customers. Its fleet of trucks runs on biodiesel fuel sourced from recycled restaurant grease. Green Depot’s Brooklyn, New York, flagship store is LEED Platinum and was one of the first businesses in New York to install a photovoltaic array power-generating unit. Green Depot’s strict filtration system for selecting products has been published in the Green Chemistry & Commerce Council’s Best Practices in Chemicals Policy for Retail alongside retailers such as Apple, REI and Patagonia.