These days , we often see companies gas about being " unripened , " meaning they use environmentally friendly method acting or products . It ’s now popular to promote sustainability , so that we keep resourcefulness for future generations . It sound fairly selfless , but being green is often cost - effective , too , which is honest occupation .
For some ship’s company , it goes beyond just apply you a recycled theme cup for your morning coffee . They ’re so committed to sustainability ( or to salvage money ) that they ’re now contain green construction in their buildings . This include major distribution center , office HQ and even retail stores .
The U.S. Green Building Council recrudesce the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design credential , well known as LEED . This rating system measure sustainable sites , piddle efficiency , energy and atmospheric state , materials and resources , and indoor environmental quality . A building scores points for each family , and it ’s potential to get ahead a ranking of Certified , Silver , Gold or Platinum .
In this clause , we ’ll research some major company that have start out usinggreen building , all of whom rank in the top 100 of Newsweek ’s greenest caller list of 2011 [ germ : Newsweek ] .
10: Bank of America
Bank of America , one of the great banks in the United States , also owns one of the new , tallest and greenest skyscraper in Manhattan . Completed in 2009 , the Bank of America Tower in New York City reach Platinum LEED certification , the high level of certification , and the honor of being the first high - rise commercial office building with the distinction .
you’re able to imagine , then , that it has some impressive greenish features . Air quality was a priority , for instance , as an air filtration organization in effect removes 95 percent of particulates . An airwave monitoring organization measures not only carbon monoxide , but also carbon dioxide , Volatile Organic Compounds ( VOCs ) and small particulates .
The construction alsocaptures rainwaterand recycles graywater . The building even has a co - generation plant life that offers about 65 percentage of the edifice ’s electricity . At night , electricity from the plant is used to make ice that is melted for chill during the day . A vast majority of the wasteland acquire from demolition and building was recycled or diverted from a landfill . Recycled materials were used when possible in the expression stuff , and the building includes a unripened cap and brooding pavers to offset the urban heat island effect .
9: Walmart
Walmart does n’t exactly have a reputation for being a painstaking companionship . In addition to stimulate controversy with its anti - labor union insurance , it has also been pick apart for its lack of environmental responsibleness , like unsustainable mill farming . However , in the preceding few years , Walmart has made commitments to meliorate its sustainability practices . This has included some impressive strides in gullible construction .
In 2005 , Walmart open an data-based store that admit using more recycled materials in construction , as well as energy - efficient methods in operation . One good example is using oil from cooking and automotive services to aid heat the store . Over the next few years , Walmart also tried out sustainable practices in its dispersion centers . For instance , the party has started using solar andwind vigour .
Walmart now feature that it diverts 81 per centum of its permissive waste fromlandfills , and that its goal is on-key zero wastefulness [ source : Azzato ] . It ’s built raw storage and dispersion centers in 15 region that are at least 20 percent more efficient than baseline buildings .
8: Office Depot
Office Depot has made a conjunct effort to go green since at least 2005 , when it began to invest in free energy efficiency initiatives . It later achieved Gold LEED corroboration for its headquarters in Boca Raton , Fla. , because of updates to the construction , include switching to fluorescent lights and tally sensors for lights . The building also utilise gloomy - stream aerator for maintain water and designates preferred parking daub for carpools . Materials in the edifice , such as the carpet , are recycle .
In 2008 , the company unfold the first LEED - manifest retail store in Austin , Texas , which attain Gold status . It pursues sustainability for its new store by utilizingskylights , musing roofs and sensors to cut back vigour when not needed . The building also has Energy Star - rated appliance and HVAC equipment .
And in 2012 , Office Depot annunciate that its dispersion center in Newville , Pa. , attain LEED certification for Commercial Interiors . The statistical distribution center includes depressed - menses faucets and urinal , as well as anenergy - effective HVAC system . The paint finishes are modest - VOC emitting , and the wood products are verified by the Forest Stewardship Council .
7: Hewlett-Packard
The entropy technology giant , Hewlett - Packard , has committed to meliorate its sustainable practice , includinggreen building . One example is the data point center the society completed in Hockley , Texas , in 2010 . To be energy - efficient , HP employed a photovoltaic solar power system that cater 280,000 kWh of electrical energy each class . The datum center also has a system of rules for reusing wastewater from the cool down process by diverting it to landscape gardening America . The materials used to fabricate the construction were largely recycled or locally develop , and the wood was certify by the Forest Stewardship Council . In addition , the facility admit bike racks and preferred parking for crushed - emission vehicles . Because of all these features , the edifice reach Gold LEED certification .
Another social system , HP ’s Customer Experience Center , located in Houston , has Silver LEED authentication . HP boasts that it features reuse piece of furniture and low-pitched - flow water secureness . It also incorporate energy - efficient lighting , and thewaste from constructionwas for the most part deviate from a landfill .
To reduce the environmental impact of their agency , HP uses InterfaceFLOR , an environmentally witting carpet party that practice renewable germ in its manufacturing . What ’s more , HP offices utilize the Steelcase Think chair , which consists 41 pct recycled material and is mostly recyclable itself .
6: Best Buy
As an electronics retailer , Best Buy administers more than 1,000 store that soak up gravid amount of Department of Energy . weigh how many of their products are on display and plugged in – include TVs and gadgets . One might not regard the company a probable nominee for seeking to reduce itscarbon footprint . Yet Best Buy has been recognized for its light-green efforts , including unripe construction .
The society has renovated more than 100 exist retail stores to improve its energy efficiency , including ply an climb to its inflammation . And when Best Buy does build new stores , the company design them according to the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED certification . One of the most significant lineament is skylights equipped with sensors that mechanically flex off the inner light when the daylight is equal .
5: Sprint
The telecommunications troupe Sprint plume itself on its green home base . Located in Overland Park , Kan. , the central office campus spans 200 Acre , and Sprint claims it to be among the most environmentally creditworthy campuses in the United States .
The deftness utilizessolar powerfor signage and a water retaking organisation that diverts the piddle for irrigation role , thereby recycle 32,000 kgals of water annually . The campus itself is made of 60 percent green space and even use a border - collie course of study for controlling the migrant wench universe that is certify by PETA . The company also supervise the planting of more than 6,000 trees on the campus . To encourage responsible transport , the campus incorporates priority parking for intercrossed vehicles and carpools , as well as a program that assists employee look for alternate shipping .
Sprint also begin a pilot program for LEED - demonstrate retail stores . They opened a retail store in San Francisco that achieved LEED certification with Department of Energy - efficient inflammation , equipment and HVAC systems . The entrepot also includes low - flow H2O fixtures , as well as recycled construction materials and piece of furniture .
4: Kohl’s
Not many people would guess that the section storeKohl’sis the largest solar raiment host in North America . The company hosts 121 photovoltaic power plants on the roofs of its installation to allow renewable energy for 119 stock , as well as one distribution center and one photo studio .
As early as 2008 , Kohl ’s made a public commitment to attain LEED certification for all their new stores . These new stores incorporate an energy - efficient HVAC system and inflammation and a broody roof to cancel the urban heat island effect . They also include low - flow rate body of water fixture . The expression of the stores uses approximately 20 percent recycled materials , include broken - VOC paints , carpet and sealants . And about 50 to 75 percent of grammatical construction waste is divert from landfill .
3: Pfizer
The pharmaceutic company Pfizer does n’t have a sterling reputation when it amount to pollution and environmental responsibility . But in the past several years , Pfizer has made a committal to sustainability and green construction . In fact , it ’s establish a Green Buildings Program , making strides in renovating existing mental synthesis .
For illustration , when Pfizer was renovating a adeptness in Groton , Conn. , the troupe install a photovoltaic solar venire system of rules to provide 58 megawatt hours of energy each class . The renovation also included upgradinginsulationand lighting . The waste from the redevelopment was mostly recycled .
When Pfizer exchange a warehouse in Ecuador into office space for the fellowship , the party employed unripe building principle , including skylight and low - flow water fixtures . A solar venire system also heat the building ’s water . Another model comes from their redevelopment of a construction in Freilburg , Germany , that was more than half a century old . Pfizer incorporated ageothermal energy systemfor cool and heating , in addition to revamping the windows to maximize daylight .
2: Starbucks
The famous chain of coffeehouses , Starbucks , sport about its sustainable practices . In addition to fair craft policies , recycling exertion and 10 - centime rebate for customers with recyclable cupful , it ’s also committed to dark-green construction .
After join the U.S. Green Building Council as early as the year 2000 , Starbucks opened a LEED - certified store in 2005 in Oregon . Since then , the company has continued to open up locations using green conception and mental synthesis . memory board include high - gust nozzles for water - effective cleaning , as well as low - flow piddle fixtures . The cabinet consist largely of post - industrial fabric . Even the storey tiles in some locations are made from recycled textile . The construction also incorporates efficient lighting , humbled VOC paint and FSC - demonstrate wood . Certain fix , such as the Paris Disney location , employ imaginative ideas , like using countertop stuff made of recycled mobile - phone parts .
1: Google
TheInternetpowerhouse synonymous with Web hunting is also known for sustain an impressive corporate headquarters known as the " Googleplex , " locate in Mountain View , Calif. In June 2007 , the society dispatch its facility of solar panels on the headquarter ’s campus , with a capacity of 1.6 megawatts and using more than 9,000 solar panels , which provide 30 percent of the facility ’s electricity need . And talk about topically produced food – the café in the Googleplex often hold from the on - campus veg garden . These , in accession to legion other gullible feature , are why the Googleplex achieve Platinum LEED documentation , the highest available .
Google ’s other office around the world are no elision , as the company has 10 other LEED - certified facilities . Google pursues a healthy environment with miserable VOC - emit rouge , carpet and sealer , and seek vigour efficiency with Energy Star - value equipment . Their Hyderabad , India , and Sydney , Australia , locations also have sewer water treatment systems onsite .
For flock more entropy on green initiatives , see the connexion on the next page .
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