Willis Tower has accomplished the following in the greening of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere:
- Partnered with Smith & Gill architectural firm and mechanical engineering firm Environmental Systems Design to identify increased sustainability in building operations and energy savings.
- Contracted with Leonardo Academy to pursue LEED-EB certification.
- Instituted an aggressive building wide recycling program for paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, electronics, and construction waste. Increased building recycling rate from an average of 10 tons per month in 2007 to more than 56 tons per month in 2009.
- Installed low flow water fixtures on building toilets, urinals and faucets, conserving more than 10,000,000 gallons of water annually.
- Installed high-efficiency lighting systems with improved controls to reduce the building’s energy consumption.
- Retrofitted building restroom lighting has been with low energy ballasts, bulbs, and occupancy sensors.
- Shading windows to reduce cooling needs during warm months and heat loss through the windows during colder months.
- Reducing the environmental impact of commuters by providing bike-to-work facilities and hybrid vehicle incentives.
- Implemented a "green" cleaning program to reduce the use of harmful chemicals, improve indoor air quality, and reduce waste.
- Installed a mock-up of world's tallest "green roof" on the 90th floor roof to test its ability to absorb storm water and reduce urban heat island effect.
