The Tower Companies and Lerner Enterprises Receive ‘Highest Recycling Achievement By Business’ Award For Company Headquarters at 2000 Tower Oaks Boulevard
Rockville, MD (July 12, 2019) – The Tower Companies and Lerner Enterprises announced today that their headquarters building, 2000 Tower Oaks Boulevard, was the honored recipient of the ‘Highest Recycling Achievement By Business’ awarded by the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. The prestigious award was announced at the 20th Annual Montgomery County Achievement Recognition Ceremony 2019 that commends excellence and professional leadership within the industry.
In 2018, employees and tenants at 2000 Tower Oaks recycled almost 25,000 pounds of mixed paper and 5,780 pounds of food scraps. “The fact that our sustained efforts are having a positive impact and effecting change is truly gratifying,” said Jeffrey S. Abramson, Managing Partner at The Tower Companies. “Our team, valued clients, and onsite partners continually advance our company’s mission of sustainability and responsibility in day to day operations. This award serves as a reflection of the high standard we strive to achieve.”
This accomplishment was awarded to businesses that met the highest level of recycling achievement, as reported on the most recent Annual Business Waste Reduction and Recycling Report, a report that is field-verified by the DEP/Division of Solid Waste Services staff in Montgomery County, Maryland. This recycling achievement includes all materials that are required to be recycled by businesses per the County’s recycling regulation. In addition to the County’ recycling requirements, 2000 Tower Oaks’ landfill diversion efforts include a composting program and an electronics recycling program, which contributes to the building’s waste management success. In 2018, 84 percent of waste at 2000 Tower Oaks was diverted from landfills – far exceeding the shared goal with the County to divert 70 percent of waste from landfills by 2020. Over the past several years, the sustainability and property management teams collaborated to onboard and educate all existing building occupants and the newest tenant, NIKA, who has taken significant strides to improve their waste management program.
There are approximately 35,000 businesses in the County, and businesses generate more than half of all the waste generated in the County. For the County to reach its 70 percent recycling goal, all businesses need to reduce waste and recycle as much material as possible. “We continually reinforce the value of education and re-education and due to the high recycle rate achieved at 2000 Tower Oaks, we have invited The Tower Companies team to participate in The Partners in Recycling mentoring program sponsored by the Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services (DSWS) which is designed to match businesses in Montgomery County with an exemplary history of recycling, like 2000 Tower Oaks, with other businesses that need assistance in setting up or improving their recycling efforts, and learning about waste reduction and buying recycled products”, said Gabriela Monzon-Reynolds, Program Manager, Business Recycling -SORRT- Program of the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. She continued, “Participants will be matched with a mentor business based on several factors, including the type of business, proximity, and level of need. We are excited to partner with the management team at 2000 Tower Oaks and look forward to working together to reduce waste and recycle 70 percent of all waste generated in the County by 2020.”
About The Tower Companies
For three generations, the family-owned Tower Companies has maintained a commitment to responsible development and continues to envision a world where buildings inspire and enrich the lives of their occupants and create positive social change. The sustainable building leader owns, develops, and manages over 6 million square feet in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area consisting of office buildings, office parks, lifestyle centers, regional malls, eco-progressive live-work-play communities and hotels, with an additional 13 million square feet in the development pipeline. In 2004, The Tower Companies was the first in the United States to achieve LEED® certification at a multi-family community, Blair Towns, and since then, 95% of their commercial and multi-family residential properties have achieved LEED® certification and 80% are ENERGY STAR® certified. In addition, Tower publically reports their portfolio’s carbon footprint to The Climate Registry and offsets 100 percent by supporting renewable energy projects in North America. Through a partnership with the Department of Energy, The Tower Companies pledged to reduce energy and water consumption 20% by 2020 and Tower surpassed those targets in 2017. The Tower Companies is an international authority in the industry, and has been recognized for its commitment to sustainability and energy independence by numerous national organizations and federal agencies, including the US Green Building Council, US Department of Energy (DOE), US Environmental Protection Agency, and more.
About Lerner
Founded by Theodore N. Lerner in 1952, Lerner Enterprises is a respected leader in Washington, D.C. area real estate development, investment and management.
Headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, Lerner is one of the largest and most diversified private real estate developers in the region, with expertise in all phases of commercial real estate – including planning, development, construction, leasing, asset management and property management. Lerner has developed and managed more than 20 million square feet of commercial, retail, hospitality and residential real estate, including an award-winning office portfolio comprised of a wide range of landmark developments throughout the Washington metropolitan area. The office portfolio features such iconic properties as Washington Square, 20 M Street, Two White Flint North, The Corporate Office Park at Dulles Town Center and The Corporate Office Centre at Tysons II, among many others.
The company is also a pioneer in sustainable development, with a noteworthy LEED® Certified portfolio that includes Washington Square (LEED® Gold), 20 M Street (LEED® Gold – the first LEED® Certified office building in Washington), 2000 Tower Oaks Boulevard (Lerner’s corporate headquarters and the first LEED® Platinum office building in the Mid-Atlantic Region), 1775 Tysons Boulevard (the first LEED® Platinum building in the Tysons market) and 1725 Tysons Boulevard (designed to achieve LEED® Platinum, starting construction in fall 2020).
For more information, please visit LernerOffice.com or follow Lerner on Twitter @LernerDC.
Media Contact:
Lisa B. Wood | 301.692.2396 | LWood@Lerner.com
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