Starbucks Picks Up Store, Drives It Down The Street

In 2011, Starbucks opened its first-ever tiny shop made from the recycled parts of shipping containers in Northglenn, Colorado. The 450-square-foot building with a fully functioning drive-thru became so popular that the brand decided that the Bannock Street and West 104th Avenue location would be best served by a larger café — so they picked the old one up and moved it.

In early February, workers carefully hoisted the shop from its foundation with a crane, moved it to a flatbed trailer, and drove it a mile east to its new home on Washington Street. The entire process from close to open took less than three weeks and left virtually no waste. This portable store is only one of 45 premade modular cafés Starbucks has opened in the past seven years.

"These locations incorporate sustainable strategies that save water, energy, and improve air quality throughout the construction process," Starbucks said in a release. "These stores are built off-site using shipping containers, prior to delivery and installation creating an opportunity for the company to extend into sites not designed for traditional store locations while minimizing the environmental footprint generally associated with net new builds."

The Seattle-based brand, famous for Unicorn Frappuccinos and other innovative drinks, claims that because of projects like this, it has become the largest builder of green stores in the retail world. To try your own hand at making more sustainable choices, here are 20 ways to make get-togethers more eco-friendly.