Wrigley Earns LEED(R) Silver Green Building Certification for Engineering Technology Center in Chicago
02 Febbraio 2010 - 4:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Certification Marks Second LEED(R) Recognition for Company CHICAGO,
Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company's
Engineering Technology Center (ETC) in Chicago has received LEED
Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC),
further advancing the company's goal to leverage high-performance
design across its existing facilities. LEED certification - which
stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - is an
internationally recognized and nationally accepted benchmark for
green buildings. Certification indicates that a building was
designed and is managed using strategies aimed at improving key
environmental measures, such as energy efficiency and water
conservation. "Wrigley is proud to have earned LEED Silver
certification for our Engineering Technology Center, further
signifying the company's long-standing commitment to advancing
global sustainability," said Dushan Petrovich, president of the Wm.
Wrigley Jr. Co. "We recognize the footprint our business has on the
environment and through the operation of environmentally-friendly
facilities, we're able to minimize our impact while contributing to
the city's vision to create a more sustainable community." Wrigley
purchased the 91,300 square-foot ETC in 2005 and refurbished the
building to house the company's engineering team, packaging labs
and model shop. With energy, environmental quality and site
improvements in mind, high-efficiency design was applied to the
reconstruction, including the installation of water-efficient
plumbing fixtures, flexible workspace and a white roof -- which
lowers energy use through the reduction of seasonal heating and
air-conditioning. To further enhance the building's efficiency,
Wrigley worked with specialized building management company,
Transwestern, to introduce several initiatives that had a positive
impact at Wrigley's LEED Gold-certified Global Innovation Center.
As a result, the ETC building uses approximately 37 percent less
energy and 20 percent less water because of
environmentally-friendly measures, including: -- An advanced-energy
management system, which enables the facility to program
temperature settings for reduced energy output during evenings and
weekends. -- Active e-waste recycling efforts, which safely
recycles or repurposes more than 95 percent of all electronics that
are no longer functioning or needed for company use. -- An
environmentally-friendly exterior maintenance program, including
pest management and landscaping practices. -- An EPA Energy Star
water-efficiency monitoring program to assess and thereby reduce
water use for the building and landscape irrigation. --
Energy-efficient lighting and lighting occupancy sensors. -- An
advanced recycling program, which saves nearly 75 tons of waste
from entering landfills each year. Additionally, the ETC introduced
a unique program to encourage Wrigley associates to commute to work
by means other than a personal vehicle. As part of the program,
associates now receive subsidized public transportation and free
access to lockers and showers, if they choose to commute via
cycling or other alternative transportation options. "USGBC's
vision is to transform the way buildings and communities are
designed, built and operated, enabling a socially responsible,
healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of
life," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair,
U.S. Green Building Council. "We applaud Wrigley and their
committed associates for supporting and contributing to this
mission both within the city of Chicago and around the world."
Wrigley's focus on enhancing the Chicago community goes beyond its
operations. As part of the Wrigley Associate Volunteer Effort
(WAVE) program, Wrigley associates are able to exhibit their
generous spirit for volunteering throughout the year. Through the
support of various organizations such as Friends of the Chicago
River, Keep Chicago Beautiful and the Greater Chicago Food
Depository, Wrigley associates enjoy an active role in keeping
Chicago a vibrant place to live and work. "The ETC LEED
certification is a terrific example of Wrigley's sustainability
efforts in action," comments Julia Tuthill Mulligan, Vice President
of Global Sustainability. "Through continued progress and
education, we're committed to doing our part for people and the
planet by making sustainability second nature in everything we do."
To learn more about Wrigley's global sustainability efforts, visit
the "Our Commitment" section of Wrigley.com. About Wrigley The Wm.
Wrigley Jr. Company is a recognized leader in confections with a
wide range of product offerings including gum, mints, hard and
chewy candies, lollipops, and chocolate. The Company has operations
in more than 40 countries and distributes its world-famous brands
in more than 180 countries. Three of these brands - Wrigley's
Spearmint®, Juicy Fruit®, and Altoids® - have heritages stretching
back more than a century. Other well-loved brands include
Doublemint®, Life Savers®, Skittles®, Big Red®, Boomer, Pim Pom,
Winterfresh®, Extra®, Starburst®, Freedent®, Hubba Bubba®, Orbit®,
Excel, Creme Savers®, Eclipse®, Airwaves, Solano, Sugus, Lockets,
P.K., Cool Air and 5®. Wrigley is headquartered in Chicago ,
Illinois and operates as a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated, based
in McLean, Virginia . Mars is a $30-billion, family-owned company
that produces some of the world's leading confectionery, food and
petcare products and has growing beverage and health &
nutrition businesses. About the U.S. Green Building Council The
U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization
whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a
generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders,
universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit
organizations. Since USGBC's founding in 1993, the Council has
grown to more than 17,000 member companies and organizations, a
comprehensive family of LEED® green building rating systems, an
expansive educational offering, the industry's popular Greenbuild
International Conference and Expo (http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/),
and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing
groups. For more information, visit http://www.usgbc.org/.
DATASOURCE: Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company CONTACT: Denise M. Young of Wm.
Wrigley Jr. Company, +1-312-645-4194, Web Site:
http://www.wrigley.com/ http://www.usgbc.org/
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