Bershka obtains LEED Platinum certification

04 Apr '12

4 min read

Bershka's store in Berlin, the retailer's first outlet in Germany, has obtained LEED Platinum certification. Platinum is the highest possible rating in the LEED scoring system, the world's most exacting sustainable architecture rating scheme. The Berlin location, with two sales floors and an imposing façade, welcomes shoppers on Tauentzienstraße, one of the prime shopping streets at the heart of the German capital. The 1500-square-metre shop is one of the largest Bershka outlets in the world.

The distinction was awarded by the representatives in Spain of the U.S. Green Building Council, the developer of the LEED certification, at the new Bershka store in Mataró Parc, the first one within the Inditex Group where full lighting system is LED based. Highly innovative and energy efficient, as it reduces energy consumption to the lowest levels in the market, LED technology enables the store a 30% energy saving over traditional lighting.

Bershka designed its debut store in Germany to be a benchmark for the chain's approach to environmental awareness. As part of the "Sustainable Inditex 2011-2015" environmental plan, store upgrades are one of the Group's key projects. The goal is 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 is committed to making 100% of its stores eco-efficient by 2020, which will enable it to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% in 2020.

The Bershka on Tauentzienstraße exemplifies the Inditex Group's commitment to environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. The following are highlights of the measures implemented during the design and construction of the Berlin Bershka which helped the store to achieve LEED Platinum status:

• Use of insulation which prevents abrupt temperature changes in the interior, including a green roof covering 30% of the roof's surface.

• 42-percent reduction in water use. Furniture and fittings bear the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) seal, which guarantees that the wood used to make them is harvested from sustainably, responsibly managed forests.

• A lighting system which saves 30% 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.

• Materials such as stone, paving materials and surface cladding are free of pollutants that could be released during their life cycle or when they are disposed of as waste.

• Centralised, independent systems for monitoring the store's usage of different resources. These systems maintain constant levels of energy savings and quickly detect anomalies.

• Double automatically opening entrance door helps to maintain the store interior's temperature while minimising energy use.

Additionally, 100% ofthe energy consumed by the Berlin Bershka comes from renewable sources, while all store staff have been trained on the appropriate use and maintenance of the facility. LEED certification also endorses a site's surroundings. In this case, the Berlin store is close to an extensive public transport network which encourages sustainable access, while Bershka has provided 12 bicycle parking spots for bike-riding shoppers.

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