Arby's first eco-friendly restaurant, located in Magnolia, Texas, was recently awarded Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Magnolia Arby's is the only Silver LEED-certified restaurant listed on the USGBC Web site for the state of Texas.
"I am so proud of the hard work the team put in to elevate our LEED Certification to Silver," said Tom Garrett, president and CEO of Arby's Restaurant Group Inc. "We'll take key learnings from this location to help us understand more about energy efficiency and eco-friendly construction and design."
Arby's LEED-certified restaurant is environmentally-friendly from the kitchen to the parking lot. Energy and water conservation elements inside the restaurant include:
- Energy Star-certified kitchen equipment
- LED lighting, including motion sensors for restrooms and offices
- Low-flow toilets
- Two tankless water heaters
- Energy efficient HVAC system
Arby's uses "Green Power" for the building, meaning that at least 35 percent of the building receives its electricity from renewable sources. The restaurant's decor incorporates low-emitting materials that contain fewer pollutants in paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants for flooring and wallpaper. The upholstery, laminate and floor tile all contain recycled materials.
The exterior of the building features a thermoplastic membrane roof to help reduce the heat island effect, which can increase summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and water quality. Solar glass and thermally broken aluminum storefront materials also are in place to improve energy efficiency. The parking lot features preferred parking for those who drive fuel-efficient vehicles, and drought tolerant landscaping native to the area is planted around the restaurant.
Arby's in Magnolia, a company-owned location, opened on April 23, 2009. Arby's recycles cooking oil and cardboard in its company-owned restaurants.
