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Waste Reduction Success Stories - General Office Recycling
More and more businesses are implementing cost saving, environmentally friendly recycling, composting and waste reduction programs. Here are a few general offices in Cuyahoga County and around the country, who are leading the way.
NYC’s Hearst Tower, toward zero-waste
In 2008, Hearst Tower became one of the first buildings of its size to implement a “target zero-waste” policy. In combination with Hearst’s aggressive recycling program, organic waste from the building’s kitchens is collected and shipped to a composting site. This will divert 95% of all kitchen waste from landfills. Each month, Hearst Tower recycles an average of 50 tons of paper. Hearst donates obsolete IT equipment to various charities, schools or other non-profit organizations. Unusable equipment is sent to certified recycler sites for environmentally safe disposal. Hearst Tower Green Facts Hearst Tower is the most environmentally friendly office tower in New York City history. 85% of the Tower’s original six-story structure was recycled for future use. Hearst Tower’s innovative diagrid system eliminated the need for approximately 2,000 tons of steel, a 20% saving over a typical office building. Over 90% of its structural steel contains recycled material.
Hearst Tower’s high-efficiency heating and air-conditioning equipment utilizes outside air for cooling and ventilation 75% of the year, as well as Energy Star appliances. These and other energy saving features increase energy efficiency by 22% compared to a standard office building. Sensors allow for lights to be automatically turned off when there is sufficient daylight or an office is vacant. Rainwater is harvested from the Tower’s roof into a 14,000-gallon reclamation tank and is used to replace water lost to evaporation in the office air-conditioning system, irrigate plantings and trees, and feed “Icefall,” a three-story, sculpted water feature within the building’s grand atrium. Walls are coated with low-vapor paints. Desks, chairs and other furniture are formaldehyde-free. Concrete surfaces are treated with low-toxicity sealants. Office floors and ceiling tiles are manufactured with recycled content. For more information, see http://hearstcorp.com/being_green/.