At first glance, the shiny new Staples on Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 21st Street doesn't look unusual. But it's the office-supply chain's very first store to be built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.
The store has registered for certification, which can take many months, said Bill Bionde, who developed the building for Staples with Michael Katz as part of 2121 Biscayne Boulevard LLC. This was the first LEED project for Bionde and the entire development team and won't be the last. He said Miami Mayor Manny Diaz's support of the project was key.
The store has a highly reflective roof to reduce solar heat. Drywall, steel, concrete, carpet and parking stops are made from recycled materials. There are waterless urinals and low-flow toilets.
The landscaping is entirely native plants, and there's a rooftop gutter system for watering. Hybrids get preferred parking.
Customers will find extensive on-site recycling services and, of course, lots of green products, like Staples-brand paper made from sugar-cane fibers that will be available in July, said Jake Swenson, in charge of corporate responsibility for Staples.
Staples, Wal-Mart and Pizza Fusion recently inspired a Greater Miami Chamber group with a discussion of their green efforts. The take-away: You don't have to do it all at once. And while Wal-Mart has made
huge green strides, you don't have to be a big guy to make a difference.
Homegrown chain Pizza Fusion is green through and through -- from the organic pizzas and earth-friendly containers to cleaning materials and the clothes worn by employees. The restaurant offers a Fusion Kids class to learn about sustainable living. And all its restaurants (five open; more than 70 franchises in 11 states sold), except the older Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale sites, have been or will be built according to LEED standards (the chain doesn't require certification).
Pizza Fusion, along with Starbucks and McDonald's, is working with the U.S. Green Building Council to develop workable LEED approaches for smaller retail buildings, said Eric Haley, its vice president of communications. The chain is also getting involved with the Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Leaders program, which you can read more about at www.epa.gov/stateply/.
South Florida can learn a great deal from these leaders.
