The Challenge:
Reckson, a Division of SL Green Realty Corporation, owns and manages over six million square feet of Class A office space throughout a number of New York City suburbs. As a part of its commitment to creating green, high-quality commercial office space, the firm is constantly looking for ways to expand its sustainability program while providing a healthier and more productive building environment for its tenants.
The Solution:
To help fulfill its commitment, Reckson began recycling old ceilings in 2007 as part of the Armstrong Ceilings Recycling Program, and has now recycled more than 400,000 square feet of discarded ceiling tiles rather than dumping them.
Before entering the program, however, Jason Black, Director of Architectural Services, explains that Reckson ran a test to ensure that recycling old ceilings did not interfere with construction schedules and did not result in any significant increase in construction costs.
“We want to move tenants in quickly, so it was important that ceiling recycling did not disrupt the construction schedule and delay occupancy,” he states. “We also wanted to make sure it was cost neutral compared to dumping.” Results of the test project showed the process to have no impact on either schedules or costs.
Today, Reckson recycles all the old ceilings it removes from the spaces it is preparing to put on the market, regardless of the size of the project.
As far advice to landlords who want to initiate sustainability programs, Black believes ceiling recycling is an ideal first stepping stone. “It’s important to understand that recycling ceilings is not a complex task,” he says.
“While recycling ceilings is an excellent starting point, it’s also important to develop other measures over time and grow the sustainability program,” he adds. “By starting small, landlords can adopt a progressive approach that builds sophistication over time, and fosters a successful, healthy and viable long term program.”