WhiteWave plant earns LEED certification

BROOMFIELD – WhiteWave Foods Co. announced Wednesday that its beverage manufacturing plant in Dallas has received LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The 325,000-square-foot plant was built in 2012. Nearly 300 workers there produce Silk soy, almond and coconut milks, Horizon Organic milk and International Delight flavored coffee creamers for Broomfield-based WhiteWave (Nadaq: WWAV).

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification was for new construction.

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Nearly 90 percent of demolition and construction waste associated with the project was diverted from landfills, according to a statement released by WhiteWave.

Fixtures in the building use 30 percent less water and landscaping requires no irrigation. All of the wood-based building materials were certified sustainable by the Forest Stewardship Council, and nearly half of all building materials were manufactured within 500 miles of the site.

“WhiteWave is committed to changing the way the world eats for the better, and we recognize that how we make our products is just as important as what we make,´ said Blaine McPeak, president of WhiteWave Foods. “Improving the environmental profile of our manufacturing process helps us to offer consumers more sustainable food choices, and reinforces our commitment to reduce our environmental impact.”

Use of materials and design techniques aid solar reflectivity, helping to address “heat island” challenges associated with Dallas’ urban development. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the annual mean air temperature of a city with 1 million people or more can be between 1.8 and 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit than its surroundings, increasing summertime peak energy demand, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and heat-related illness.

The WhiteWave plant was designed by Hixson, an architecture, engineering and interior-design firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio.