Leading Australian sustainable fashion label Country Road has achieved a 6 Star Green Star Interiors rating at two of their retail stores, marking a pioneering achievement in the fashion retail industry.
Country Road’s Highpoint and Ballarat stores have become the first in Australian fashion retail to secure the coveted 6 Star Green Star Interiors rating, awarded by the Green Building Council of Australia based on factors such as energy efficiency, use of recycled materials, and innovation.
To secure this rating – the highest a building can achieve – a meticulous approach was taken throughout the design process to repurpose existing store elements and incorporate innovative solutions that prioritised sustainability.
Having established itself as a leader in sustainable fashion by opening Australia's first 5 Star Green Star rated retail store in August 2019, Country Road continues to demonstrate best practice store design, redefining the retail experience for customers to explore, learn and discover.
For their Highpoint and Ballarat stores, Country Road focused on several design strategies built on repurposing and recycling materials to reduce waste. Among others, fixtures were made from recycled yoghurt containers; carpet from recycled fishing nets; wall cladding from recycled paper; fitting room hooks from ocean plastic; store fixtures and tables from recycled plastic; and kitchen benchtops from damaged Country Road stoneware mugs and marble waste.
“In 2019, Country Road set itself and Australia's fashion retail industry an ambitious benchmark for the design of healthy and environmentally responsible stores by achieving the nation's first 5 Star Green Star Interiors certified store,” says Davina Rooney, CEO, Green Building Council of Australia.
“Now Country Road has gone above and beyond this achievement by securing 6 Star Green Star certifications for the Highpoint and Ballarat stores. Not only is this a first for the fashion retail sector, but it's also a trailblazing example of world leadership from a company reaching new heights of environmentally conscious stores.
“From the sustainability teams who innovated to deliver these stores, to the leadership team pushing boundaries, and the staff who are fortunate to work in these healthy spaces every day, Green Building Council of Australia congratulates all involved.”
Image: Supplied
