A green distribution center: easier than you think

Outdoor clothing company REI says building a LEED-certified DC wasn't especially difficult or expensive.

By Corinne Kator, Associate Editor -- Modern Materials Handling, 1/29/2008

Building an environmentally friendly distribution center isn’t as difficult or as costly as you might think. That’s according to Chris Joyce, manager of the new eastern region distribution center for the outdoor gear and clothing company REI.

Joyce helped oversee the design and construction of the 525,000 square foot distribution center, which opened this fall on a 43-acre site in Bedford, Pa. REI recently announced that the facility has received the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification for new construction.

The LEED program’s point-based rating system was developed in 1999 to encourage the development of sustainable buildings with low environmental impact.

Adhering to the LEED program required considerable planning upfront, says Joyce, but the actual construction was not particularly hard. REI earned points for using FSC-certified wood, hosting an on-site concrete mixing plant (rather than burning fuel to truck in the heavy concrete) and running construction equipment on bio-diesel—all things Joyce characterizes as “really easy.”

And while he can’t share the actual figures, Joyce says the cost comparison between his green facility and a more traditional facility is surprising. “The difference is pretty insignificant,” he says.

The distribution center’s energy-efficient roller conveyor and lighting will quickly pay for themselves through lower electricity bills, he says. The low-toxicity paint and carpets REI bought came at a good price because there’s plenty of demand for such products. And while the building’s skylights were more expensive than a regular roof, Joyce says the bright natural light makes his employees happy, “and it’s hard to put a dollar figure on that.”

The DC has been shipping orders since October, and Joyce says running the facility day-to-day is no more difficult than running a more traditional building.