Package delivery company FedEx Express has made LEED Certification the standard for all of its newly-built U.S. facilities. LEED, the green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), of which FedEx is an active member, is a benchmark for buildings that are designed, constructed and operated sustainably.
The newly-constructed FedEx Express Las Vegas facility is the first facility in the company to receive LEED certification, followed by FedEx’s existing Memphis-based headquarters.
The FedEx Express Las Vegas facility reduces indoor water use by 49% through low flow plumbing fixtures rather than merely “code-compliant” fixtures. Energy savings, due to design elements such as skylights and evaporative cooling, are 42% higher than a similar building without these features. During construction, 86% of all construction waste was diverted through recycling and reclamation of materials. More than 75% of regularly-occupied spaces are sunlit to reduce the need for electric lights and provide better workspaces.
“LEED Gold certification is a significant accomplishment for our Las Vegas facility, which includes a package-sorting warehouse, vehicle maintenance bay and an office building,” says Stephen Mangin, project architect with FedEx Express. “That’s a lot of variables to work through. In addition to the water, energy and waste reduction benefits, the natural lighting throughout is a huge workplace environment bonus.”
The new LEED certification requirement also underwent internal review to ensure it meets the goals of the FedEx EarthSmart Solutions program. The EarthSmart program encourages team members to identify solutions and programs that go beyond industry standards to reduce FedEx's environmental impacts.
