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Every week, workers with Waste Management of Spokane retrieve recycled materials from thousands of residential and commercial customers throughout the greater Spokane Valley.
These days, those renewable resources are being returned to a building that has a recycled history of its own.
A grand opening for WM’s new 23,000-square-foot operations center was held last Friday with dignitaries like Spokane County Commissioner Mark Richard and Spokane Valley Mayor Richard Munson in attendance. The building will serve as home base for 64 WM trucks and a staff of 72, including 56 drivers.
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A grand opening for the Waste Management Spokane Operations Center was held last Friday and included addresses from Spokane Valley Mayor Richard Munson and Spokane County Commissioner Mark Richard. The 23,000-square-foot site is located in Spokane Valley near Spalding Auto Parts.
Photo by: Craig Howard |
A grand opening for WM’s new 23,000-square-foot operations center was held last Friday with dignitaries like Spokane County Commissioner Mark Richard and Spokane Valley Mayor Richard Munson in attendance. The building will serve as home base for 64 WM trucks and a staff of 72, including 56 drivers.
Richard gave credit to WM for integrating environmentally conscious themes into construction of the $8.5 million site. Elements of the structure – including solar panels, a high efficiency heating and cooling system and green friendly water and light mechanisms – will translate into a 30-percent energy savings compared to a traditional building of the same size.
“This is a proud day,” Richard said. “The amount of money you’ve invested in the environmental component is impressive. I would hope that others would catch onto this example.”
The building – located off Interstate 90 near Spalding Auto Parts – was designed and constructed according to standards outlined in a program called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, established by the U.S. Green Building Council in 1998. There are currently over 14,000 projects in the U.S. and 30 other countries that comply to LEED criteria underscoring priorities such as indoor environmental quality, water efficiency and innovation in the design process.
Carl Damoude, design manager for ET Environmental Corp., a Portland-based construction firm that designed the Spokane Valley WM site, said the emphasis on a green approach includes the construction and utilization of the building.
“There are so many benefits to the employees because of this working environment,” Damoude said.
Along with spacious windows and high efficiency lighting, the site includes reflective roofing and concrete paving that reduces heat. An automated truck wash, responsible for cleaning each of the vehicles in the WM fleet, uses recycled water at a rate of 92 percent.
“There are tangible, monetary benefits,” Damoude said.
Even the landscaping around the building, comprised mostly of plants that require little water, adds to the green theme. Damoude said WM will see a 72-percent reduction in outdoor water usage because of the configuration.
After the ground breaking last July, contractors recycled 75 percent of the materials generated at the construction site. Recycled products account for nearly 30 percent of the resources used to build the structure.
More importantly, an extensive supply of eco-friendly materials were integrated into the – from low-emitting paint to wood with no added urea formaldehyde, a toxic substance that has been linked to cancer and respiratory problems.
“This place means a lot to each and every one of our employees,” said Marco Gonzales, district manager of the Spokane Valley WM center.
The local WM branch serves over 52,000 residential and commercial customers in an area that includes the city of Spokane Valley, Millwood, Liberty Lake, Deer Park and portions of unincorporated Spokane County.
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By
Craig Howard
