Page 174 - The Green Building Bottom Line The Real Cost of Sustainable Building

LEARNING FROM A LEED PILOT PROJECT 153

best resource (see Figure 5.3). As such, we created something of a walking educational
trail throughout the project, with signs posted throughout the center that point out sus-
tainable aspects and practices. We also offer guided tours of the center conducted by
Melaver, Inc. staff members, and a map handout that offers a self-guided walking tour.
Another piece of our community outreach and education—fortunately a part of the
general LEED program—involves making the most of the interactions we have with
the general public. Preferred parking spaces, for instance, are provided for shoppers
driving hybrid vehicles to Abercorn Common. Those who drive conventional vehicles
and park in these spaces are greeted with an educational “ticket,” which explains what
the hybrid-only parking signs are all about. To encourage bicycling, racks are provided
for bicycle parking; showers are provided for bicycling tenants as well.
Retail stores generate an estimated four pounds of trash per employee per day, and
much of that can be recycled. To encourage our tenants to recycle, there is a central
area behind the stores with large metal receptacles for paper and cardboard, and bins
for recycling metals, plastics, and glass. We also encourage shoppers to recycle by
providing seven smaller receptacles in the parking lot areas for recycling plastic,
metal, and glass. A private contractor collects the recyclables for free each week.

Figure 5.4 Preferred parking spaces are set aside for hybrid vehicles.