UNFI's Ridgefield Distribution Center Utilizes 100% Renewable Energy and Becomes Largest Refrigerated Distribution Center to Achieve Gold Certification by USGBC
United Natural Foods, Inc. announced on February 18, 2009 that its 259,729 square foot Ridgefield, Washington distribution center has been awarded LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council ("USGBC"). The Ridgefield Distribution Center, which serves as a regional distribution hub for UNFI's customers in Portland, Oregon and other Northwest markets, features 54,000 square feet of cold storage making it the first refrigerated distribution center to achieve Gold certification by the USGBC.
"We have successfully begun implementing a number of environmental construction initiatives over the past few years and the prestigious LEED® Gold certification for environmentally responsible design of our Ridgefield facility is a significant milestone for our organization and all of our Associates," commented Steve Spinner, UNFI's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are also proud to be a company committed to improving shareholder return while demonstrating a long term dedication to sustainability and our environment."
LEED® is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings and is a voluntary third party rating system administered by the USGBC. The council recognizes environmental sustainability in different categories, such as building materials, energy efficiency, water savings and indoor environmental quality.
"UNFI is to be commended for achieving LEED® Gold certification. This facility is one that both the community and its customers can be proud of," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO, Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "UNFI's Ridgefield facility will be a showcase for high-performance, energy-efficient distribution center, and an inspiration for others."
Environmentally Sustainable Building Practices
UNFI began exploring LEED® certification at its Ridgefield facility prior to construction and created a design based on Green Building best practices. Some of the environmentally focused initiatives used during development include building materials that were composed of a minimum 30% recycled content, low or zero-VOC emitting paint materials and carpets made from 100% recyclable materials. Furthermore, all wood products were selected from FSC ("Forest Stewardship Council") suppliers and 95% of construction waste was diverted from local landfills.
The Company partnered with ARCO Design/Build of Atlanta, GA to provide sustainable design and site planning for the distribution center and collaborated with leading LEED® consultant ReVision Architecture, who specializes in sustainable design and architecture.
"UNFI has a long-standing commitment to environmentally sustainable practices and should be applauded for having the first, and largest, Cold Storage distribution center certified LEED® NC Gold," commented Jake M. Stefan, Division Manager at ARCO Design/Build. "It has been a pleasure to partner with UNFI over the last six years and assisting with the implementation of economical, Green best practices within their distribution network."
Ridgefield Utilizes 100% Renewable Energy
Commencing operations in December 2007, the Ridgefield facility utilizes high-performance environmentally-friendly systems that reduce energy use by 30% when compared to a typical building of the same size. The facility is powered by 100% renewable energy, which avoids four million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually, and features motion-activated water sensors and flow controls, reducing water use by over 40%.
Additionally, the Company's irrigation techniques and storm drain plans were designed to avoid erosion, minimize containments entry and reduce irrigation needs by 50%. Consistent with initiatives at all of UNFI distribution centers, the Company's Ridgefield associates apply sustainability practices including using high-recycled products, conservationism as well as waste reduction.
"The promotion of environmentally responsible business practices is central to our corporate philosophy and we are extremely pleased to have received this Gold certification," commented Tom Dziki, UNFI's Vice President of Sustainable Development. "At Ridgefield, we were focused on creating a healthy, productive place to work while simultaneously reducing our environmental footprint."
Some of the energy-friendly systems in place at the Ridgefield facility, which reduce consumption by 30% when compared to a typical building of the same size, include:
- 100% renewable energy, avoiding four million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually
- Reduction of water use by over 40% using conservation methods such as motion-activated water sensors and flow controls
- Reduction of over 50% of irrigation needs by simply choosing plants native to the Portland area
- Low or Zero VOC materials selected for paints, carpets, adhesives and furniture for this building
UNFI's Ridgefield facility has also recently been recognized by the Clark Public Utilities and Bonneville Environmental Foundation for its "Green Lights" support of renewable forms of electricity in the Northwest. The program was designed to generate more wind, solar, geothermal and other forms of pollution-free power and displace more environmentally harmful power sources.
UNFI implements sustainability practices throughout its nationwide distribution network and is pursuing LEED® certification for its newest distribution center, a 675,000 square foot facility located in York, Pennsylvania. Additionally, over the last 16 months, UNFI has installed major solar electric systems on the rooftops of their Rocklin, California and Dayville, Connecticut distribution centers. UNFI has the largest warehouse capacity of any distributor in the natural products industry with approximately 6.2 million square feet of space at 20 distribution centers nationwide.
To learn more about UNFI's long standing commitment to the environment and the sustainable initiatives at its Ridgefield, Washington facility please visit the About Us section of this website.