McDonald's Headquarters Goes Green

McDonald's announced that its global headquarters building in Oak Brook, Ill., has been awarded LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

“We are very proud of this achievement. By working through the LEED certification process, we were able to document that an environmentally-friendly workplace can be cost effective,” says Joseph Endress, vp, facilities and systems. “The benefits associated with this effort are ongoing, with positive impacts on our employees, our budgets and the environment. This third party certification by the U.S. Green Building Council was a great validation for our workplace sustainability efforts.”

The fast-food giant’s global headquarters building was built in 1988 with original features including an open office environment with generous access to daylight, space and land-saving underground parking, and landscaping with native plants. Over the years, the company has added recycling and waste programs, green vehicle parking designations, used fry oil conversion into bio-diesel fuel, and recapturing of rainwater for irrigation. All of these elements contributed to the LEED Platinum certification.

The headquarters sit on 88 acres, with over half remaining native woodlands. Two man-made lakes, fondly named Ed and Fred, are used to retain site storm water, which also provides a source for plant material irrigation during the summer.

Worldwide, less than 210 building projects have achieved the LEED Platinum certification, the highest certification level.