Marriott International’s 30-year old headquarters’ building achieved LEED Existing Building Gold status by earning points for maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts.
The green features which enabled the headquarters to achieve this recognition include: ranking in the top 25th percentile for energy efficiency when compared to buildings of similar age, size and use and an accumulated reduction of 9.04% in electricity consumption; receiving an Energy Star rating of 77 for the last three years; increasing the recycling rate to 69% in 2009 and diverting all waste from the landfill to a waste-to-energy plant; and installing motion sensors in all restrooms, telecom and electrical closets.
The headquarters also replaced office supplies for cost-neutral, greener alternatives or highly recyclable options; eliminated disposable products and converting to china and flatware in the cafeteria; purchased higher efficiency lighting options with reduced mercury content; participated in Demand Response energy reduction programs earning more than $100K in electricity rebates; switched from evening to daytime office cleaning; and engaged and educated more than 3,000 employees to help solidify the company’s status.
Marriott is committed to growing its LEED portfolio to 300 hotels over the next five years. Currently, there are 40 LEED hotels certified or registered across nine Marriott International brands.
