Method Takes Green to New Level with LEED Platinum Factory

When it comes to cities doing a lot of moving and shaking, the Windy City is certainly at the top of the list. Despite an infamously frustrating airport, the rest of Chicago offers everything from state of the art cuisine experiences to Silicon Valley-esque entrepreneurial incubators. And soon it will also be the only city in the US touting a LEED platinum-certified factory in the consumer packaged goods industry, thanks to Method.

(Though, to Illinois’ credit, maybe this isn’t so astonishing given that they trumped some of major green players like New York and California in regard to number of LEED certified projects in 2013!)

Method's LEED Madness

A producer of non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products, Method makes everything from dish soap to laundry detergent – the likes of which can be found on the shelves of box retailer Target. Fully focused on ecofriendly initiatives, the company is involved in a number of innovative environmentally sustainable activities including the collection and recycling of ocean plastic, as well as biodiesel distribution fleets in California and throughout the Northeast. Plus, they are the first in the soap industry to achieve a Cradle to Cradle certification.

Needless to say, they’re a pretty forward-thinking company with a serious knack for environmental consciousness. So, naturally, when it comes to the design specs for their new factory, LEED Platinum certification made the most sense. But then came the concept of where such a passive factory would be located.

Method spokesperson Katie Molinari stated via email, “We wanted to build our manufacturing facility within a community that could benefit positively from its presence.” And so Method scoped out dozens of sites across five states for its new factory before settling on the Pullman district on the Southside of Chicago.

The new factory will tout assets like rooftop greenhouses, a refurbished 230-foot wind turbine, solar panels, and 15+ acres of greenery. As if that weren’t enough, the factory is also expected to create a much-needed 100 jobs for the area hard hit by the closure of its steel plants in the 1990’s.

Looks like the people of the Pullman district and Method have a win-win on their hands!

(Above is a rendering of the southwest view)

(above is the rendering of the Method LEED Platinum factory from an aerial view)

(above is the rendering of the Method LEED Platinum factory from the south) -- All of the images are courtesy of Method (thanks again.)