McDonald’s HQ Achieves LEED Platinum Status

April 22, 2009

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Joining fewer than 210 other buildings in the United States, McDonald’s corporate headquarters has achieved LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

McDonald’s headquarters, in Oak Brook, Ill., was something of a trendsetter when it was built in 1988. The original design featured space-saving underground parking, landscaping with native plants and an open office environment with plenty of access to daylight, according to a press release.

Since then, the headquarters has added recycling and waste programs, a mechanism to recapture rainwater for irrigation and green vehicle parking designations. The facility also converts used fry oil into biodiesel, according to the release. More than half of its 88 acres is in native woodland.

According to the relase, here are some additional sustainable aspects about the headquarters:

The office layout and building design allow natural daylight penetration and exterior views of the wooded campus.
Low mercury, energy efficient interior lighting is used throughout the building.
Exterior lighting has been designed to minimize light pollution.
Enhanced metering is used to monitor building systems efficiencies.
Indoor underground parking is provided to minimize the urban heat island effect.
The office is in close proximity to public transportation.

McDonald’s recently released its 2008 corporate responsibility report.

In the CSR report, McDonald’s lays out these goals for itself by 2010.

educating and communicating with supply chain partners about sustainability
measuring environmental impacts throughout the supply chain
enhancing children’s well-being through programs and food choice
finding ways to maximize energy efficiency in restaurant operations
continuing to integrate environmental considerations into its global packaging scorecard in nine major markets
enhancing best practice sharing within the system.

McDonald’s pilot “green” restaurant in Chicago is estimated to use 25 percent less energy than a traditional McDonald’s restaurant. The restaurant features a storm water management system and a vegetative green roof together with the required installation of Energy Star-rated kitchen equipment and networked equipment to save energy.

McDonald’s is evaluating the performance of its pilot restaurant to see what “green” features can be replicated in its 14,000 restaurants in America and 31,000 in total worldwide.

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