When it comes to making their distribution centers more Earth-friendly, many merchants are willing to adopt green practices. But a few have gone all the way to ensure that their facilities are LEED-certified through the U.S. Green Building Council. The intent of LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - certification is to provide building owners and operators a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. It includes performance in metrics such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

Merchants love the notion of LEED-certified warehouses. But the expense involved in getting the official green thumbs up can be daunting.

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