Since opening in 2009, SaladStop! has been prioritising the future of the planet with a single-minded focus on developing environmentally conscious food and operations. The Group caters to an addressable market of 69 million people across 11 cities in seven countries. With an aim to serve over 20 million meals by 2025, SaladStop! is committed to driving change in the food industry, aligning with Singapore’s 30×30 goals.

Adrien Desbaillets, CEO and Co-Founder of SaladStop! Group said, “Opening the first Net Zero store in Southeast Asia is a momentous achievement and I am extremely proud of our team. By evolving our business strategy to include Net Zero, we are transforming our governance and processes, making sure we have the right structures in place to not only monitor progress but make long-term decisions about our future. This new strategy is changing how we allocate capital and build a long-term sustainable brand that consumers love, further propelling our vision to become the first Asian F&B chain to achieve Net Zero across all new and existing outlets.”

Journey to Net Zero

Located in the CapitaSpring building in Singapore, SaladStop! chose this location for its green credentials including its BCA Green Mark Platinum-certification, achieving energy savings that exceed BCA’s base standard of 25%.

To achieve Net Zero, the SaladStop! store underwent a full carbon assessment. This was done in partnership with Unravel Carbon, a Singapore based company that enables enterprises to track and reduce their carbon emissions, helping them decarbonise their operations and their ecosystems. The objective of the Net Zero store is to achieve maximum reduction in embodied and operational carbon emissions by identifying and employing emission reduction opportunities, from the design and build to the waste, and then compensate for any remaining emissions via high quality offsetting.

According to Unravel Carbon’s report, the CapitaSpring store is estimated to have operational emissions of 117 tonnes of CO2-e per year, compared to a 126 tonnes of CO2-e per year in an older SaladStop! store and 558 tonnes CO2-e per year as an average across the F&B industry for a similar sized quick service restaurant. These emissions estimates include all emissions associated with operating the store as well as emissions associated with ingredients, consumables and packaging. Unravel Carbon also calculated the emissions associated with the fitout of the CapitaSpring branch, determining that 6.4 tonnes of CO2-e were emitted. Total emissions to construct the branch and for the first year of operations (June 2022 – June 2023) are estimated to be 124 tonnes of CO2-e.

Once all reduction efforts have been exhausted at the CapitaSpring store, these emissions are negated through the use of high quality, offsets representing real, permanent emissions reductions. With ongoing emission reports and monitoring processes, SaladStop! will be able to keep track of and improve its Net Zero efficiency. From its construction to its daily operations, the first Net Zero SaladStop! outlet has been designed to have the least negative impact on the environment as possible.

Sustainable Design

Pomeroy Studio, the award-winning designers and thought leaders of sustainable built environments, was tasked with designing the store’s exterior and interior with sustainable materials, which also adhered to the Net Zero guidelines that they created. Such guidelines will provide a benchmark for leaner, cleaner and greener stores for the Group in the future. The Studio is also assisting SaladStop! in applying for Green Mark certification: Singapore’s green assessment method for the building industry that evaluates environmental impact and performance.

Adding to the sustainable design, SaladStop! used upcycled logs that were turned into furniture, creating tables, shelves, and décor at the store. Recycled plastics were used to make the wall tiles, and a statement green wall was produced with plants that are treated with a plant-based and biodegradable liquid that allows it to go months without watering.

Reducing Waste and Offsetting Emissions

Partnering with Muuse, the Net Zero outlet offers a waste-free option for customers who want to use eco-friendly reusables for takeaways. Customers can download the Muuse app and scan a QR code on the trolley in store. These reusables can then be dropped off at any partner café.

For those ordering food to home or work, all food deliveries from the CapitaSpring store will be done on foot or by bicycle. This is made possible with an exclusive partnership with Deliveroo, where only cyclists and walkers are allocated for the deliveries, to ensure that no carbon is emitted during the delivery journey.

Waste management is a huge consideration when going Net Zero, leading SaladStop! to partner with Westcom Bio-Tech’s innovative biodigester, which turns leftover food safely into fertiliser on site, decreasing food sent to landfills.

In addition to reducing emissions and offsetting, SaladStop! offers customers the chance to make a donation to a reforestation project in Indonesia, via Handprint.

Fully committed to sourcing as much as possible from local partners, SaladStop! has launched its Homegrown Salad 2.0, which is exclusive to the CapitaSpring outlet and made entirely from locally grown ingredients in Singapore. This fresh, tasty salad includes delicious ingredients such as egg, kale, baked chilli barramundi and tamarind vinaigrette.

Net Zero Vision 2030

The opening of its Net Zero store is the first tangible step for SaladStop! Group’s Net Zero vision. The Group is committed to becoming the first Asian F&B chain to achieve Net Zero capability across all new and existing outlets under its direct management by 2030, beginning with SaladStop! shops aiming for zero emissions by 2025. The company aims to open any new store as Net Zero with any existing stores renovated to achieve Net Zero, starting with outlets in Singapore and then. The Group pledges to achieve the maximum reduction of emissions in all new openings, with any remaining to be offset.

Katherine Desbaillets Braha, Co-Owner and Chief Brand Officer of SaladStop! Group, said, “The objective of the Net Zero store was to create an outlet with the least possible impact, using local sustainable design and materials, sourcing homegrown produce, reducing waste, and offering carbon neutral delivery. After we have exhausted all opportunities to reduce and replace emissions in our supply chain, we then use offsets for anything unavoidable. The opening of this store has been two years in the making and is a momentous moment for us as we embed Net Zero throughout the company, with a commitment to achieve Net Zero across the Group by 2030.”