West Seattle PCC became Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal Certified in 2021, but we’ve been cultivating our community roots here since 1989. In fact, we used reclaimed cedar from our original West Seattle store to construct tables for our new produce department.
In addition to wood reclaimed from the original West Seattle PCC, we used all Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified wood products. Our work excluding toxic chemicals from all building components was unprecedented in the grocery industry — some components had to be modified or custom designed because toxic-free options were not readily available. Read more >
Designed to maximize the use of natural light, West Seattle PCC depends less on electricity during daylight hours. Where natural light is insufficient, we use light emitting diode (LED) fixtures, which consume 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent fixtures.
Our in-store chefs and kitchen staff use ENERGY STAR Certified equipment wherever possible — our steam cookers use 60% less energy than standard models. Doors installed on refrigerated cases reduce energy use by up to 65%.
Each of our condensing boilers achieves up to 45% more efficiency than a conventional boiler. Our refrigeration system uses CO2, a natural refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP) thousands of times lower than that of commonly used synthetic refrigerants. Heat released from the system is reclaimed and recycled.
Compared to standard models, our steam cookers use 90% less water and our dishwashers use 40% less water. We selected faucets that use 60% less water than standard faucets to achieve the same water pressure.
West Seattle PCC’s electric vehicle (EV) charging stations (coming soon) contribute to a more complete EV infrastructure and a less carbon-intensive future. Surrounded by a variety of shops, restaurants and residential areas, the store is situated in a walkable community hub.
The International Living Future Institute’s habitat exchange program aggregates funds to protect large tracts of contiguous, high-value ecosystems, maximizing the impact of each contribution. PCC contributed funds to protect, in perpetuity, an area of land equivalent to West Seattle PCC’s building footprint.
