Stryker, a provider of orthopaedic implants as well as medical and surgical equipment, said that two of its manufacturing facilities have earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications from the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
The certifications recognise Stryker’s ongoing, company-wide efforts, many of which began in its European plants, to design and operate its facilities in a more sustainable and responsible manner.
Stryker’s patient handling and emergency medical equipment manufacturing facility in Portage, Michigan, has earned a Silver designation in the USGBC’s LEED rating system for Existing Building Operations and Maintenance. The company claimed that it is the first manufacturing facility in Michigan to receive the LEED EB: O&M certification.
The other manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China, has achieved a Gold designation in the USGBC’s LEED rating system for New Construction and is one of the five facilities in China to achieve this rating.
Stryker said that the LEED EB: O&M rating system assesses the ability to maximise operational efficiency while minimising environmental impacts by addressing whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues, water efficiency, energy efficiency, sustainable purchasing, recycling programs, exterior maintenance programs and ongoing indoor air quality. The LEED rating system for new construction has similar goals that apply to newly built facilities.
Stryker’s patient handling and emergency medical equipment building, which contains both manufacturing and divisional headquarters office space, is located in Portage, Michigan. Since its construction in 2005, the company has reduced the facility’s energy usage by 27% through implementing a building operations plan, an energy audit and a retro-commissioning plan. Improvements have included the re-use of pallets, diverting plastic from landfills and overall trash cost reduction.
Stryker’s China manufacturing facility is located in East China’s Suzhou Industrial Park. The building was constructed with locally available materials high in recycled content. The facility design optimises use of natural light and employs solar-powered water heating and other environmentally friendly utility systems.