Sustainability

At Vornado, we believe that environmental sustainability is not only responsible citizenry, it is also good business. Our goal is to be a leader in sustainability by creating a corporate culture that integrates the principles of environmental responsibility and sustainable growth into our business practices, our planning, and our relationships. Vornado has already incorporated many sustainable initiatives in our buildings and in our programs, and is expanding and developing environmental best practices in our operations.

• Tenant center
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  Tenant Service Center

  Vornado/Charles E. Smith's Tenant Service Center is one of the largest and most sophisticated remote monitoring and emergency response centers in the United States. Through this centralized hub, operated by licensed engineers, we continually maintain precise thresholds in power usage heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) operations-over a 20 million sf portfolio-resulting in energy savings which are consistently 8-12% below regional BOMA averages. Not only does this technology optimize energy efficiency, it ensures all systems are monitored before they impact comfort, business operations, energy efficiency or productivity.

• ENERGY
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  ENERGY STAR Rated Buildings

  There are currently 34 buildings in the Vornado/Charles E. Smith portfolio being recognized by the ENERGY STAR program. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy focused on promoting energy efficient products and practices. For commercial buildings, the ENERGY STAR program scores the energy performance of commercial facilities on a 1-100 scale. Facilities that achieve a score of 75 or higher are eligible for the ENERGY STAR award, indicating that they are among the top 25% of facilities in the country for energy performance. Through a combination of sound operating practices and conservation techniques, our buildings achieve superior levels of conservation performance. High-performance buildings result in benefits to the environment and operating expense savings to our tenants.

• Recycling
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  Recycling Programs

  We offer a comprehensive Recycling Program at all of our buildings. Break rooms, kitchens and pantries are equipped with recycling collection containers for mixed recycling: aluminum beverage cans, glass bottles and jars, metal food cans and plastic beverage containers. These items are emptied nightly by cleaning staff then taken off-site for sorting and processing. Deskside containers are also provided for office paper recycling, and cleaning staff collects cardboard items for recycling. Many of our buildings host electronics recycling events to collect unused items such as computers, fax machines and batteries. Keeping trash out of the landfill reduces pollution and saves the energy needed to create new products from raw materials. Reducing waste and ensuring proper recycling of materials is a key component of Vornado/Charles E. Smith's commitment to the environment.

• Green
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  Green Cleaning

  A "Green" cleaning program is incorporated in all of our cleaning efforts. Our practices, procedures, training and daily operations are centered around promoting indoor air quality, reducing pollutants, minimizing strain on local infrastructures, improving quality of life and promoting environmental stewardship. We embrace the philosophy that the well-being of our employees and tenants can only be achieved when our cleaning standards meet or exceed the criteria set by the U.S Green Building Council.

  Further, Vornado/Charles E. Smith partners with an international association that is leading policy change in this area: GreenSeal.Org. Green Seal works with the U.S. Green Building Council to create cleaning and other industrial policies as they tie into the LEED certification.

• LEED
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  LEED Development

  Using USGBC's benchmarks, Vornado/Charles E. Smith has received LEED certification for almost 2 million sf of new developments and existing buildings, including 800 17th Street/PNC Place, WestEnd25, 1999K, Waterfront Station, 220 20th Street and 2101 L Street with more on the way.

  New LEED certified developments are built to operate very efficiently, utilize sustainable technologies and systems, and incorporate design features that maximize day-lighting, conserve resources, reduce waste and reduce energy consumption.

  Buildings certified LEED for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance (EBOM) demonstrate best practices in energy efficiency, resource conservation, ecologically sensitive products, and other sustainable techniques.

For more information on our Sustainability Programs and Initiatives please visit Vornado Sustainability.