Diversey Inc. on June 16 announced that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded the company LEED-EB (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Existing Building) for three of its facilities at its global headquarters campus. Diversey’s global headquarters building and distribution facilities were certified at the LEED-EB Gold level and its East Campus building was recognized at the LEED-EB Silver level. These achievements make Diversey one of the first companies in the United States to earn LEED certifications for an entire global headquarters campus that serves a variety of purposes, including business operations, research and development, and warehousing and distribution.
“Diversey continues to pursue excellence in environmental management,” said Diversey chairman S. Curtis Johnson. “The ongoing recognition of our facilities under the LEED program demonstrates how we’re building sustainability into all aspects of our operations.”
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the USGBC. The certification provides concise standards for the design, construction and operation of green buildings.
The LEED-EB certifications are part of a broader set of initiatives by Diversey to improve the environmental profile of its operations worldwide by reducing waste, energy and water consumption. Diversey has reported a 17.1 percent reduction in total energy consumption and a 16.1 percent reduction in waste disposed throughout its operations worldwide in 2009.
“Our campus in the Racine area is a living example of how sustainable facility management creates value in an enterprise,” added Diversey president and CEO Ed Lonergan. “Reducing water, waste and energy has made our facilities more profitable and is central to the solutions we offer our customers.”
Environmental Initiatives at Diversey’s Global HQ & East Campus Facilities
Diversey’s global headquarters facility, built in 1997, was the fourth building in the world certified under LEED-EB in 2004. Since then, Diversey’s facility management team has continued to improve the environmental profile of the building with energy-saving daylight cleaning and the installation of solar-powered faucets, wind turbines, a printer reduction program and a cafeteria composting program. The building also went through a rigorous process to optimize the efficiency of the building’s mechanical systems and further improve its energy efficiency. Over the course of the past three years, these improvements have resulted in an annual electrical energy reduction of 15 percent and 28 percent reduction in natural gas usage. This equates to eliminating 1,595 metric tons of CO2 annually or the equivalent of taking 324 passenger vehicles off the road for an entire year.
Initiatives at Diversey’s Distribution Center
Diversey’s Mount Pleasant distribution center earned the LEED certification for New Construction (LEED-NC) in October 2007 and was simultaneously registered in the LEED-EB program. Diversey closely tracked its environmental progress, enabling the company to identify incremental energy savings that are necessary for the LEED-EB Gold rating. As a result of initiatives to improve the facility’s Energy Starscore and overall energy efficiencies, the facility achieved a 10 percent electrical use reduction and a 50 percent gas use reduction since it opened in 2007.
Diversey’s facility management efforts have also led to a substantial reduction in water usage at each of its Racine-area facilities. Each building uses at least 25 percent less water than the baseline requirements of the Energy Policy Act as referenced in the LEED-EB certification process.
About the LEED Program
Developed by the USGBC, LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable solutions for green building design, construction, operations and maintenance. LEED certification verifies that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
About Diversey
Diversey Inc. is committed to a cleaner, healthier future. Its products, systems and expertise make food, drink and facilities safer and more hygienic for consumers and for building occupants. With sales into more than 175 countries, Diversey is a leading global provider of commercial cleaning, sanitation and hygiene solutions. The company serves customers in the building management, lodging, food service, retail, health care, and food and beverage sectors. Diversey is headquartered in Sturtevant, Wis. Diversey Inc. is formerly JohnsonDiversey Inc.
