Avondale Verizon Wireless Store Earns LEED(R) Gold Certification for Green Design and Construction

CHANDLER, Ariz., April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The Verizon Wireless Communications Store in Avondale is the first in Arizona and among the first Verizon Wireless retail locations in the nation to secure LEED Gold certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).  

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

The Avondale store's design optimizes water and energy use, enhances indoor environmental quality and reduces waste through responsible procurement and construction practices.  

Among the environmental benefits the store offers:

• Energy Savings: 51% percent less energy consumption thanks to high efficiency lighting.  Energy savings and carbon reductions from energy management system and Energy Star equipment including sales terminals and HVAC system.  Estimated 26,000 gallons per year in water-saving through installation of low-flow plumbing fixtures.
• Material Reuse: recycled-content materials used in the store, including in ceiling tiles, flooring and display fixtures.
• Phone Recycling: the store is a collection point for the company's HopeLine® phone recycling program.  Collected phones are disposed of in an environmentally sound way under a zero landfill policy or refurbished for resale and reuse.  Proceeds from HopeLine support local victims of domestic violence and local non-profit advocacy agencies.  Employees can also recycle paper, glass, plastics and aluminum on-site.  

"As we approach Earth Day 2010, Verizon Wireless is proud to join with the City of Avondale and Mayor Lopez Rogers to invite residents into the store to learn more about how individuals together with corporations can be more 'green,'" said Brian Danfield, acting regional president of Verizon Wireless.  

"We are pleased and honored to be among the first in our industry to receive a Gold certification for the store's environmental design and efficiency from the USGBC.  The proven conservation measures used in the design and operation of the store help protect the environment today and conserve resources for the future."

"The city is proud to have the first LEED Gold Certified Verizon Wireless Store in Avondale," added Dan Davis, Economic Development Director for the City of Avondale. "We applaud the high standards used in the design of this store. When a business looks beyond 'the bottom line' and commits to a philosophy of environmental sustainability, the entire community benefits."

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 91 million customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, Nasdaq: VOD).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com.  To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About LEED®

The LEED Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

About USGBC

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a 501(c)(3) non profit composed of leaders from every sector of the building industry working to promote buildings and communities that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.  The U.S. Green Building Council developed the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless