Poland Spring Plant Earns LEED Gold Standard for Environmental Sustainability

KINGFIELD, Maine, Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Poland Spring's newest bottling facility in Kingfield, built in 2008, officially received the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(R) (LEED) Gold certification, making it the first manufacturing facility in Maine to receive LEED Gold status. LEED is an internationally recognized certification system that measures how well a building performs across various sustainability metrics, including energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, and stewardship of resources.

"We are honored to receive the LEED certification and proud to be Maine's first manufacturing facility to earn the Gold standard," said Cameron Lorrain, Poland Spring's Kingfield Plant Manager. "Employees of Poland Spring are proud to work for a company committed to being thoughtful and responsible in every aspect of our business. We have more to do and are excited to continue our journey toward more sustainable operations," he said.  

"LEED certification is market driven.  More and more, businesses are learning that doing what's right for the environment can also be good for their bottom lines.  Consumers expect companies to think about the environment; to recycle waste; to reduce packaging; and to utilize renewable forms of energy.  We commend Poland Spring for being ahead of the curve," said Naomi Mermin, Board President of the U.S. Green Building Council's Maine Chapter.

Cianbro partnered with Poland Spring in 2007 and 2008 to build the Kingfield plant.  Cianbro CEO, Peter Vigue, congratulated Poland Spring today and lauded the partnership between their companies saying, "True quality of life cannot be achieved without quality of place.  We believe it's up to us to take action to ensure that these qualities are preserved while our economy is strengthened.  Poland Spring continues to be a strong contributor to Maine's economy and their facility in Kingfield enhances both quality of life and quality of place.  Cianbro is honored to be a part of that success."

Kingfield's LEED Gold is Poland Spring's second LEED certified facility in Maine, joining the Hollis warehouse expansion, which earned LEED Silver in October 2009. Poland Spring has committed to building all new construction to LEED specifications.  

Thanks to its environmentally conscious design, the LEED Gold certified Kingfield facility:

• Saves 70.4 million BTU's of energy each year.
• Conserves approximately 140,000 gallons of water a year.
• Recycled or diverted approximately 91 percent or 1,478 tons of construction waste from landfill disposal, or the equivalent weight of 850 cars.

Kingfield's Green building features include:

Building Materials

• Salvaged and recycled materials were used in the structural timbers, bead board and floorboards.
• A minimum of 20 percent of the other building materials used were extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as manufactured, within 500 miles of the project site.

Energy usage:

• At least 35 percent of the building's calculated electricity comes from either wind, solar or low impact hydroelectric.
• Energy efficient windows provide daylight, reducing the need for artificial lighting.
• Solar Reflectance roofing materials used to reduce the roof's temperature, decreasing the demand for air conditioning in the warm months.
• Climate control sensors monitor and regulate heat and air conditioning.

Exterior

• Indigenous plants were used to create a water efficient landscape.
• A storm water management plan controls 100 percent of storm water to minimize runoff and protect nearby streams.
• Preferred parking for car pools, and the addition of bicycle storage and changing rooms encourages employees to use those modes of transportation.

Recycling

• In addition to the use of recycled materials in the actual building construction, more than 75 percent of the non-hazardous construction and demolition debris was recycled or salvaged.
• Like all of Poland Spring plants, the Kingfield plant recycles more than 90 percent of its waste stream.

Other

• Rest rooms contain water efficient fixtures to reduce water usage.
• The plant is cleaned using green products and practices.
• The facility does not contain ozone-depleting refrigerant or fire suppressants. (CFCs, HCFCs or Halons)

Poland Spring's parent company, Nestle Waters North America (NWNA), was the first beverage manufacturer to build plants in America with LEED certification and is the leading U.S. food and beverage manufacturer in LEED plants. There are now nine NWNA bottling facility nationwide to have earned certification, including two with Gold certification, four with Silver certification, and one with full LEED certification.

For more information about Poland Spring in Maine visit www.PolandSpringWorksforMaine.com.

POLAND SPRING's ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES:

In addition to LEED certification, Poland Spring has committed to environmental leadership and sustainability in other ways including:

• Curbing carbon emissions by drastically reducing our truck fleet idling time by 70 percent, from 1,400 hours in February 2007 to 380 hours in February 2009.
• Switching our truck fleet to a non-food grade bio-diesel blend fuel, which has reduced annual carbon emissions by an estimated 1.8 million pounds, the equivalent of taking approximately 113 cars off the road every year.
• Recycling between 91- 98 percent of our in-plant waste stream.
• Unveiled the Eco-Shape half-liter water bottle in 2009, which uses 30 percent less plastic than other branded beverage containers.

ABOUT POLAND SPRING:  Since 1845, Poland Spring has been investing in Maine and creating good jobs using an abundant, renewable resource. Today, Poland Spring operates three bottling plants in Poland Spring, Hollis and Kingfield. The Kingfield facility, which officially opened in January 2009, represents a $60 million investment and 40+ new jobs in western Maine. Poland Spring operates additional spring sources in Fryeburg, Poland, Dallas Plantation, Pierce Pond Township and St. Albans. Currently, Poland Spring is investing $4.1 million in a new spring water station project in Fryeburg and Denmark, Maine.

Today Poland Spring:

• Employs nearly 800 full-time and seasonal workers across Maine
• Has invested nearly a half billion in capital in Maine since 1992
• Contributes nearly $40 million to the economy in annual payroll
• Spends almost $65 million directly with other Maine companies each year
• Has invested over $2.5 million in community giving since 2000 to support schools, fire and rescue, environmental conservation, and many local and statewide causes

SOURCE Poland Spring Water Company