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 Big box retail stores are not often associated with environmentally friendly practices. Center member Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), a national retail cooperative providing quality outdoor gear and clothing, is challenging that perception with its new Boulder, Colorado, prototype store.
The remodeled Boulder store is 42,000 square feet, and customers are able to see the sustainable design from the moment they walk into the store. The store's atrium skylight serves two purposes - it lets natural light into the store while capturing the light's energy to power the store. The solar skylight is made of glass imbedded with integrated silicone solar cells, which send electricity directly into the store's electrical system. In fact, the use of natural light is one of the most significant features of the store. The rest of the store makes use of Solatubes, highly reflective tubes that channel daylight into the store. This feature will provide approximately 20 percent of the store's lighting, allowing lights to be automatically dimmed or turned off during the day, thus reducing daytime energy use.
REI also found environmentally friendly ways of meeting the water needs of the store. In its restrooms, REI uses super-efficient plumbing fixtures like low-flow toilets, low-flow sinks and metered flush valves on urinals. These measures ensure that REI's Boulder store uses 30 percent less water than stores that meet industry standards. In addition, 70 percent of the store's hot water needs are met by solar energy, greatly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
 As much as possible, materials used to construct the store are locally sourced and environmentally friendly. REI bought locally where possible to support the community and to decrease the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transporting materials over long distances. Examples of the use of environmentally friendly building materials include:
- a kids playroom made from sustainable materials, including FSCcertified recyclable steel studs, hardwood/plywood and low-to-no volatile organic compounds (VOC) paint
- benches, perimeter wall and free-standing fixtures in the store made from pressed bamboo sheets and steel. Both are durable and green: Bamboo is rapidly renewable and steel is completely recyclable
- rubber flooring made of postproduction and post-consumer waste, such as tires and tennis shoes
- low-to-no VOC paints, primers, finishes on fixtures and wood, and carpeting with very low VOC emissions
REI was careful to ensure that the process of remodeling the store was as green as the store itself. Three-quarters of construction waste generated by the remodel was kept out of Boulder landfills by using it in other areas of the store or recycling it. Additionally, the ongoing operation of the store will use renewable energy sources; the REI Boulder store currently utilizes wind power, as do all of its other Colorado stores.
REI announced its prototype initiative in May 2006 as an effort to test new concepts in store layout and merchandising, state-of-the-art technology and environmentally-friendly materials. As the initiative's first location, the Boulder store will help REI determine where the co-op can improve its store experience and environmental footprint, such as energy efficiency and indoor air quality. Boulder was chosen for the co-op's initial prototype because the city has a highly active population and is home to key leadership within the outdoor industry, including the Outdoor Industry Association, gear makers and other outdoor retailers. By remodeling its Boulder store to make it more environmentally friendly, REI is also ensuring that the store will embody the values that make REI unique – community involvement, environmental stewardship, and a commitment to serve as a gateway to the outdoors. REI has been a leader in green retail store design since the planning, construction and opening of the co-op's innovative Seattle flagship store in 1996. In 2004, REI's Portland, Oregon, location became the first retail store in the country to earn the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold rating for commercial interiors. In 2006, REI's Pittsburgh store achieved a LEED silver rating for commercial interiors. The Boulder store represents the next generation in green building design for the company, and is also a part of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Retail pilot program. For more information, go to REI.com.
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