United Natural Foods Inc (NASDAQ:UNFI) announced that its York PA distribution center has been awarded LEED Gold by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) isa national program for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.
The 675,000-square-foot distribution facility is in the Greenspring Industrial Park in York and is the largest facility in the company’s distribution network. Some of the steps UNFI took to achieve gold certification included:
•More than 60% of building materials sourced from regional suppliers.
•Diversion of more than 95% of construction waste from local landfills.
•Building materials used during construction contained more than 35% recycled content.
•Installing a cistern to store 20,000 gallons of diverted rainwater to use with the center’s refrigeration system.
•Water use reduction of more than 40% using motion-activated sensors and flow controls throughout the building.
UNFI partnered with ARCO Design/Build Inc of Atlanta GA to provide sustainable design and site planning for the York distribution center, which commenced operations in autumn 2008.
The York distribution center is UNFI’s second LEED-certified distribution facility. In 2009, the firm’s Ridgefield WA distribution center was recognized with LEED Gold certification. The company is also pursuing LEED Silver certification for its new headquarters in Providence RI and LEED Gold at a new 590,000-sq-ft distribution center being constructed in Lancaster TX.
