Environmental Leader

Office Depot has tapped into energy efficiency efforts and solar power to bring a reduced carbon footprint to an Austin, Texas, store.

Taken together, the initiatives resulted in a 23 percent reduction in carbon emissions per square foot, according to a press release.

The store, which was certified as LEED Gold, uses about 14 percent less electricity per square foot than other Office Depot locations.

Office Depot discovered this after it tracked a variety of environmental impact factors including energy usage, carbon dioxide emissions and water efficiency at the location and compared it to other Office Depot retail stores in the same area from November 2008 to November 2009.

The building was constructed in May of 2008.

The location meets more than 10 percent of the its energy needs with solar power, which has helped Office Depot avoid about 45,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

Overall, the store is 15 percent more energy efficient (per square foot) than the other Office Depot retail locations in Austin.

The building also has a reflective white roof, solar tracking skylights, high efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning units and an enhanced energy management system.

The building underwent a lighting retrofit to more energy efficient T5 lighting and light sensors were added to all offices.

The store also has a recycling program for collecting corrugated cardboard, paper, plastics, ink/toner cartridges and technology.

Office Depot has been stepping up its transparency in products it sells that have environmental attributes, including a special program for larger customers that helps explain the “greenness” of the customers’ overall purchases. The program relies on Office Depot’s Shades of Green labeling program.