ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Dunkin' Donuts is celebrating the grand opening of its first "green" store today. The St. Petersburg, Fla., restaurant is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified and includes other green initiatives, such as innovative recycling programs like worm casting and food donations to the local food bank.
LEED certification is widely recognized as the standard for green construction in the United States. The LEED rating system sets forth specific criteria that constitute a green building and LEED certification provides third-party verification that the criteria have been met.
The St. Petersburg LEED certified store is a first for Dunkin' Donuts, which broke ground in May 2008, and will serve as a prototype for future green construction projects as well as enhance future building models.
The St. Petersburg restaurant is built in the Dunkin' Donuts flagship model design and features numerous LEED enhancements, including energy-efficient insulated concrete foam walls to reduce air conditioning usage by approximately 40 percent; energy-efficient lighting, including motion sensors for restrooms and offices; water-efficient plumbing fixtures; low-flush toilets and the usage of well water rather than potable water for all irrigation.
In addition to these significant LEED enhancements, other "green" features at the St. Petersburg location include:
- Recycling — On-site Earthworm Casting facility, a collaboration between Dunkin' Donuts and local company Mother's Organics. The solar-powered tank houses 80 pounds of small red earthworms that will eat the waste produced by the store, such as coffee grounds and paper products. The worms' waste will then be converted into fertilizer for local farms and gardens.
- Reusable Mug Program — Customers are encouraged to bring their own mug, and will receive a discount toward the purchase of a beverage.
- Paper Hot Cups — Hot drinks are served in paper cups made from renewable resources.
- Food Donation — Leftover baked goods are donated to America's Second Harvest, a local food bank.
- Green Cleaning — Cleaning products meet LEED requirements and California Air Resources Board (CARB) standards, better for the environment and customers.
The opening of the first LEED store is part of Dunkin' Brands' Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) platform, which covers four main pillars: philanthropic, social, economic and environmental. Each pillar is associated with specific goals, including serving those who serve in the community, embracing diversity and inclusion, sustainable development of products and materials and volunteerism.
