Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the world’s largest certified green building, has released highlights (via Jetson Green) of the facility’s 2006 measurable green practices:
Recycle
-The recycling of 65,480 pounds of paper and cardboard – enough to save more than 557 trees and 229,000 gallons of water.
-Recycling 1,720 pounds of glass, plastic and aluminum -this creates the amount of needed energy to keep a 100-watt burning for nearly 30 years.
Reuse
-The reclamation of more than 4.75 million gallons of water through the convention center’s water treatment facility – the amount of water saved provides enough water to run 317,000 standard dishwashers.
-Reusing approximately 1,500 wooden pallets — approximately 30,000 pounds of pallets that were sent to a local pallet vendor.
Reduce
-The utilization of the Convention Center’s natural ventilation system for 58 event days (representing 33 percent of the Exhibit Hall event days) which eliminated the need for artificial heating and cooling.
“There is a significant environmental impact when meeting planners, exhibitors, attendees and the facility’s staff pull together to conserve resources,” explained Mark Leahy, general manager of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. “In fact, even our service partners are committed to our green practices. Levy Restaurants, our exclusive food service provider, purchases fresh-grown products from local farms including organic items.”
The David L. Lawrence Convention Center, which opened in 2003, is owned and operated by the Sports and Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County and managed by SMG.
