July 11, 2008 - Office Depot has put its pioneering LEED-certified store design to the test, opening its very first green retail location in Austin, Texas.

Office Depot has been piloting the U.S. Green Business Council's LEED Portfolio Program for high-volume retail, which certifies green-building designs for use in multiple locations. In May, the retailer became the first program participant to earn pre-certification for a green-store design.

"We took a series of innovative green design elements used in Office Depot store locations across the country and brought them together in our new store prototype," explains Ed Costa, vice president of construction for Office Depot.

"What this means is that not just one store, but our core store prototype incorporates leading-edge green design principles," Yalmaz Siddiqui, director of environmental strategy for Office Depot said in May.