From an early age, most of us learned the value of switching off the lights when leaving a room, turning off the water faucet, keeping the refrigerator door tightly closed and walking instead of driving short distances. At Kraft Foods, “greener” office buildings are reinforcing these childhood lessons, making it easier for employees to reduce their environmental impact.
“Sustainability is an important part of our business strategy, and we want our workplaces to be a constant visible reminder to our employees,” said Steve Yucknut, Vice President, Sustainability. “Our greener offices are inspiring employees to think and act differently at work. And together, we’re changing behavior and getting results.”
Around the world, Kraft Foods has done the basics – reducing its office buildings’ environmental impact by installing motion-activated lighting and more efficient plumbing fixtures. The company is doing even more by adapting buildings so employees can work more sustainably and be more flexible, productive and mobile. With wireless tools to work at home, on the road or with a customer without being “at the office,” people use less energy in commuting, and there’s less need for office space.
UNITED STATES: Kraft Foods’ Northfield headquarters recently became ENERGY STAR qualified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is in the top 8 percent of commercial buildings in the country for energy efficiency and uses 33 percent less energy than similar commercial buildings. As a result, it’s less expensive to operate and emits fewer greenhouse gases than its peers. The campus is surrounded by green space and walking trails for employees, and three lakes on site capture rainwater for reuse to handle half of the property’s irrigation needs. The building is even cooled by ice – recycled water is frozen at night, and fans circulate the cool air the ice generates.
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