Hospitality giant receives second LEED certificate for sustainable HQ

Wyndham Worldwide, one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, which counts the Travelodge and Ramada chains amongst its brands has received a second silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program for its New Jersey-based headquarters. One of the green initiatives was the introduction of a sustainable purchasing policy that encourages the purchase of ongoing items such as lamps, electronic goods and furniture, to be environmentally friendly, conserve natural resources, minimize waste and reduce toxicity.

The company received its first Silver Certification for Corporate Interiors in 2010, and its second designation last week for Existing Building – Operations and Maintenance.

Other processes which led to the Silver Certification award included:

• Reducing its energy by 8.6 per cent from 2010, resulting in a decrease of 1,294 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e);
• developing an exterior building site maintenance program that requires the use of natural fertilizers, that all landscape waste to be diverted from landfills and the limited use of gas-powered tools;
• reducing water consumption by nearly 29 per cent through water-efficient faucets and fixtures;
• using environmentally-preferred products and practices for cleaning, with 85 percent of the cleaning product purchases considered sustainable.

“At Wyndham Worldwide, we’re consistently developing eco-friendly initiatives across our businesses, and when we received our first LEED Silver Certification in 2010 after the completion of our headquarters building, we were extremely honored,” said Frank Campana, senior vice president, corporate real estate and facilities, Wyndham Worldwide.

He added: “But we knew we wouldn’t stop there. We are committed to exploring and implementing innovative environmental practices, not only for our hospitality portfolio, but also for our corporate offices, as this effort reduces costs, fosters the efficient use of resources and supports profitability. Being green is literally ‘built in’ to Wyndham Worldwide and a critical piece of our companywide strategy; our headquarters building is the ultimate symbol of that.”

To help further reduce its carbon footprint at its headquarters in New Jersey, the Company provides premier parking spots for employees who carpool and drive hybrid vehicles, offers mass transit options, including a free shuttle to/from the local train station and a variety of on-site services, such as a car wash/detailing, credit union, shoe shine service, dry cleaning, general store for basic items, Starbucks and cafeteria.

“Our work in sustainability is a tremendous collaboration across all key stakeholders, who work together to reduce our carbon footprint by developing ideas with incredible potential, transforming them into tangible results and driving leadership in the industry,” said Faith Taylor, senior vice president, sustainability and innovation, Wyndham Worldwide.