L’Occitane, a world-leading natural cosmetics and beauty products brand has achieved a significant milestone in their sustainability journey with the opening of their first-ever Green Store globally.

L’Occitane Australia has converted their Westfield Bondi Junction Boutique into a fully-functional, 5-star Design Review rated and to be certified Green Store. A worldwide first for the brand, the new Green Store initiative was accomplished in partnership with the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).

With the level of complexity and detail required to meet this standard, only 19% of the 3,000-plus buildings certified by the GBCA are retail, making this an incredibly rare achievement for L’Occitane Australia. Only three retailers have achieved a Green Star rating using the Interiors tool, and which L’Occitane is on track to join.

“The spirit in which L’Occitane is incorporating Green Star into their retail fitout is exemplary and testimony to how deep L’Occitane’s sustainability values run within their business,” says Davina Rooney, CEO of GBCA.

Pierre-Emmanuel Joffre, general manager – L'Occitane Australia said, “We are so proud of this achievement and the level of detail; from the materials through to the refill fountain; we collaborated across the whole company to think outside the box so that sustainability and reducing waste are at the centre of the Boutique, just like L’Occitane’s philosophy, it is in everything we do.”

Leading edge eco-conscious initiatives at the Green Store

The innovative Refill Fountain feature has been rolled out in select L’Occitane boutiques in the USA, Europe and Asia. L’Occitane’s Refill Fountain allows consumers to refill some of their favourite products in their Forever Bottles. Aiming to reduce and eliminate the use of plastic going forward, this initiative has buyers use their one-time-purchase Forever Bottles made from long-lasting, lightweight and 100% recyclable aluminium to significantly diminish their environmental footprint as well as enjoy long-term financial benefits. Customers can save an average of 20% with each refill of their Forever Bottle.

Another highlight of the Green Store is the living Green Wall with a fully integrated irrigation system that will act as a natural air filter using the plants to help metabolise toxins in the air, while simultaneously releasing oxygen.

Sustainability throughout construction

From demolition through to construction, sustainability was the paramount consideration in the development of the L’Occitane Green Store. Glass waste collected from L’Occitane’s in-store TerraCycle program was recycled by Betta Stone into the boutique’s benchtops and icebreaker sink. This repurposing of waste enabled L’Occitane to close the loop on the circular economy.

The physical build of the boutique undertaken by Site-Box Projects features materials supported by credible environmental certifications including the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest, GBCA’s Green Tag and Good Environmental Choice Australia. From the structural timber to the joinery, render and paint finish, these elements have contributed to the boutique receiving a 5-star Design Review rating.

Commitment to continual improvement

To ensure that sustainability remains at the heart of the Green Store, mechanisms have been integrated that allow for continual monitoring to identify new ways to minimise resource consumption and contribute to achieving Green Star certification.

The new L’Occitane Green Store will be open from 14th October 2021.

Architecture News & Editorial Desk

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