Target, the American retail chain, is opening 124 Canadian stores next year, and all are being designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.
The chain is one of the first retail organizations to be part of U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED Volume Program, which aims to make the certification process for similar buildings smoother.
Target’s Lisa Gibson explained the company’s commitment to recycling and waste diversion programs during the construction phase for the Canadian locations.
“Target is using existing buildings to optimize the use of existing materials and minimize waste,” Gibson told Construction Canada Online. “We also have a construction diversion program in place, and we’ve seen over 47 per cent of the construction waste from our distribution centres in Canada being diverted from landfills.”
According to Gibson, some of the features contributing to the completed facilities’ sustainability include:
- bike racks encouraging bicycle commuting for shoppers and employees;
- use of paints, sealants, and coatings specified to meet LEED standards for low volatile organic compound (VOC) content;
- permanent interior materials specified to meet LEED standards for low-emitting materials;
- use of aggregated new materials containing at least 10 per cent recycled content; and
- reduced water use through low-flow restroom fixtures.
Each $10-million renovation for new Canadian Target locations will take between six to nine months to complete; stores will begin opening in March 2013.
