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04/18/2008 08:08 AM
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Hearst Tower Targets Zero-Waste
SustainableBusiness.com News
Hearst Corporation, one of the world's largest media companies, announced that it has begun implementing a "target zero-waste" policy at its Manhattan headquarters, making it among the first corporations to roll out such a program in an office tower of its size.
In combination with Hearst's aggressive recycling program, organic waste from Hearst Tower's kitchens in its cafeteria, Cafe57, and its executive dining facility will be collected and shipped to a composting site in New York. This will divert approximately 95% of all kitchen waste from landfills.
The 850,000-square-foot Tower has won worldwide praise for its innovative and environmentally sensitive design, and is the City's first occupied green office building to achieve the Gold LEED rating by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Hearst Corporation piloted the composting program with its waste hauler, Sprint Recycling, based in New York City, last month before formally introducing it as part of Hearst Tower's green philosophy. During the pilot, the amount of waste sent to landfills dropped by 23 tons. Organic materials decaying in landfills are responsible for emitting methane gas, one of the greenhouse gases tied to global warming.
Hearst Tower has also implemented an aggressive recycling program that recovers all paper, as well as all metal, glass and plastics generated at the building. Once collected, the material is taken to Sprint's facility where it is separated, baled and transported to manufacturing facilities that use this material as feedstock to make new products.
In addition, all e-waste is being recycled, preventing mercury and other heavy metals from contaminating soil, air, groundwater and/or surface water.
