After more than 15 months of an auditing and validation process to comply with the requirements established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino, at the Convention Center District, has now officially been recognized as a “New Construction, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified Property”.
It now becomes the first hotel in the Caribbean, and the first Sheraton hotel in the world to receive this prestigious distinction.
“The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the US Green Building Council, in a written release. “The work of innovative building projects such as the Sheraton Puerto Rico, is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.”
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, developed by the US Green Building Council in March 2000. It promotes sustainable building and development practices through a suite of rating systems that recognize projects that implement strategies for better environmental and health performance.
In its construction, the Sheraton included many environmental practices including the use and processing of recyclable materials such as aluminum, glass and paper. During this two-year construction phase, developers were able to recycle 52 percent of construction debris, in recycling plants across the Island. This included steel, aluminum, concrete and cardboard, among other materials.
Developers also used eco-friendly construction materials in adhesives, sealers and paint, and 20 percent of the materials, including aluminum, windows, ceramic floors, and steel, were made with recycled materials. Another 20 percent is made in Puerto Rico, including cement, plastering and adhesives.
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