More than 3,500 Starbucks stores have been certified as “Greener Stores,” according to the company’s framework assessing performance across a broad range of environmental impact indicators, the company announced Monday, as it expanded its Greener Store program to new markets including Asia Pacific (AP), and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).

Starbucks launched its Greener Store initiative in 2018, beginning with stores in the U.S. and Canada, and setting a goal to reach 10,000 Greener Stores globally by 2025. In order to be certified as a Greener Store, a store must successfully meet 25 required standards – developed in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund and SCS Global Services – across eight environmental impact areas ranging from energy efficiency and water stewardship to renewable energy and waste diversion, and be verified by an outside auditor.

Different combinations of sustainability features are used by stores to meet the standards, ranging from elements such as solar panels or water recycling tanks to less visible features including high efficiency appliances and HVAC systems and low-emitting paint and sealants.

According to Starbucks, the Greener Store practices have already saved the company nearly $60 million in annual operating costs in the U.S., including through water savings and energy reductions, and contributed to the company’s “resource positive” sustainability goals which include reducing carbon emissions, water usage and landfill waste by 50% by 2030.

Michael Kobori, Starbucks Chief Sustainability Officer, said:

“With a company of Starbucks scale – any one action, no matter how small, has the potential for massive impact. I’m so proud to see our Greener Stores framework continue to scale for good globally. The program we have created will continue to move us closer towards our resource positive goals.” 

In addition to the first-time certification of stores in the AP and EMEA regions, Starbucks said that it will expand the Greener Stores program in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) regions by the end of 2023 through building all new stores under the framework.

Grace Yoo, Starbucks Greener Stores Global Program Manager, said:

“Most of them look no different from any other Starbucks store, but there are Greener Stores quietly opening and operating all throughout the world, with unglamorous details like energy-efficient dishwashers, water-saving faucets, and carefully thought-out waste diversion signage to help do our part in mitigating the effects of climate change.”