Midwest Materials Management operates a LEED-certified facility to process non-hazardous construction and demolition debris, and this certification benefits our customers in multiple ways. Here’s a look at LEED certification, why it matters, and how you benefit from choosing a LEED-certified waste management facility.
What LEED Means:
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a globally recognized certification that measures how efficiently and sustainably a building or facility operates. To earn a LEED certification, facilities must go through rigorous assessment and meet high standards in areas such as energy use, water efficiency, carbon footprint, and waste management practices. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) created the program and continues to award LEED certifications.
Why LEED Matters:
Financial savings:
LEED-certified buildings use resources efficiently and see measurable cost savings as a result. According to the USGBC, LEED-certified buildings realized $1.2 billion in energy savings from 2015-2018. In the same timeframe, they saw $149.5 million in savings from the efficient use of water, $715.3 million in maintenance savings, and $52.2 million in financial benefits from waste management.
Healthy working environments: LEED-certified buildings typically have better indoor air quality, better lighting, the use of non-toxic materials in construction and operation, and fewer building-related safety hazards. This translates into happier, healthier employees. The USGBC notes that many LEED-certified commercial businesses see improvements in absenteeism rates, employee retention, and productivity.
Environmental impact: In the United States, buildings contribute nearly 40 percent of national CO2 emissions, surpassing the industrial and transportation sectors in energy consumption. However, LEED-certified buildings have achieved 34 percent lower CO2 emissions, use 25 percent less energy, 11 percent less water, and have redirected over 80 million tons of waste away from landfills. (source: USGBC)
How Customers Benefit:
Financial benefits:LEED-certified buildings aren’t just better for the environment; they have bottom-line benefits that can be passed on to customers. Companies that use resources inefficiently have to make up for higher operating costs and more expensive overhead, which means these costs can indirectly get passed on to customers in the form of higher prices. In other words, a LEED certification is a sign of both environmental and fiscal responsibility.
Support of sustainability targets: All types of businesses are increasingly held to high standards of sustainability and measurable progress on targets. Regulatory bodies and the general public expect quantifiable results and transparent reporting. Partnering with a LEED-certified waste transfer facility and reporting on responsible disposal and waste management is another way that businesses can show environmental sustainability.
Healthier communities: LEED buildings tend to have healthier employees and tenants in the buildings themselves, and they also support healthier communities outside of facility walls. Since LEED facilities use non-hazardous materials in construction and maintenance and operate sustainability, they don’t pollute air, land, or waterways the way non-certified buildings may. In industrial waste management, disposing of construction and demolition debris in a responsible manner prevents these materials from having a negative community impact.
LEED and Midwest Materials Management
LEED certification is just one of many ways Midwest Materials Management and its recycling facility & dumpster rental divisions use responsible practices that benefit customers and our shared communities. We’re known for recycling and repurposing hard-to-dispose materials, such as utility poles, old tires, and expired railroad ties, and have patented processes for turning old materials into marketable products. Our sustainable practices earned our founder Steve Berglund the honor of being named a Notable Leader in Sustainability by Crain’s Chicago Business in 2023.
Time is another resource we help our customers save. From roll-off dumpsters and construction containers to bulk waste transportation services to drop-off waste disposal, we offer a variety of ways to dispose of construction and demolition waste.
