Nike’s continued commitment to sustainability has led to a significant achievement for the brand: The Nike store located in the Unicenter shopping center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, recently received gold LEED certification for outstanding levels of environmental sensitivity and innovation. The store is the first NIKE, Inc. franchise location to receive a gold rating.A marquee location for the brand; it is the largest and top-selling Nike store in the Emerging Markets geography. It’s the first store in Argentina to achieve LEED certification in the Commercial Interiors category.
The Unicenter shopping complex was remodeled in 2012, necessitating major changes in the existing Nike store.
Sustainability highlights include:
- Energy-efficient appliances and LED lighting reduce electric consumption by 80 percent and provide overall energy savings of about 40 percent. Plumbing changes have reduced water use by 40 percent.
- 90 percent of store waste is recycled locally, and up to 94 percent of waste is diverted from landfills. Nike reuses those materials or donates them to non-profit organizations.
- Pure air is filtered into the store via specially installed equipment.
- 100 percent of new wood is certified sustainable by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
- Materials and products are manufactured locally to reduce transportation and decrease carbon emissions.
The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program that recognizes buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.