World-first: L’Occitane opens green store in Australia

The L’Occitane green store has been built in the space of its Westfield Bondi Junction store in Sydney in partnership with the Green Building Council of Australia.

Tong Van 12 October, 2021

L’Occitane’s world-first green store is set to open its doors to the public in Australia this week as part of the Hong Kong-listed company’s sustainability program.

The L’Occitane green store has been built in the space of its Westfield Bondi Junction store in Sydney in partnership with the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).

The Refill Fountain has been added to the new boutique, allowing customers to refill their favourite products in the 100% recyclable aluminium ‘forever bottles’.

A living green wall with a fully integrated irrigation system acts as a natural air filter with the plants helping to metabolise toxins in the air, while simultaneously releasing oxygen.

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

The boutique’s benchtops and icebreaker sink are manufactured by Australia-based company Betta Stone, using recycled glass collected from L’Occitane’s TerraCycle program.

“L’Occitane will be the first who has closed the loop on supplying the materials through their TerraCycle program, to see that tangible benefit of collecting consumers waste and repurposing it in-store is impressive,” said Robert Thompson, owner of Betta Stone.

The physical build of the boutique was undertaken with Site-Box Projects which ensured the materials used are supported by credible environmental certifications including the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest, the GBCA’s Green Tag and Good Environmental Choice Australia.

Meanwhile, the store’s current furniture will be transferred to other L’Occitane Boutiques to be reused and repurposed.

According to the company, 19% of the 3000-plus buildings certified by the GBCA are retail, and only three retailers have achieved a Green Star rating using the interiors tool, a select group that L’Occitane is aiming to join.

This article was first published by Inside Retail.