A forklift passes through United Natural Foods cavernous distribution center in Ridgefield on Thursday. The center earned LEED Gold certification for a bevy of subtle touches, such as overhead lights activated by motion sensors.

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Freezer selector Max Ryan passes through a freezer maintained at minus-13 degrees. Its believed to be the first refrigerated warehouse to earn Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

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A forklift passes through the chilled section of the United Natural Foods distribution center, glimpsed through a window recommended by employees.

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RIDGEFIELD Step inside the cavernous warehouse of United Natural Foods and the notion of environmental sustainability doesnt exactly jump out.

You need to look a little harder.

Its in the break rooms carpet, made entirely of recycled material. Its in the doors, made of wood grown and harvested with a light touch on the land. Its in the building materials, coated with a minimum of volatile organic compounds.

Its in these and a dozen other green features that earned the company gold-star recognition.

The U.S. Green Building Councils Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program commonly known as LEED recently certified the 260,000-square-foot distribution center with its Gold standard. Its believed to be the countrys first refrigerated distribution center to earn the distinction, even though its hard to see by outward appearances.

Employees said thats the point: Sustainable practices need not be flashy, and they dont need to break the bank.

At the same time, the company recognized that the green features would be appreciated by environmentally minded shoppers who ultimately buy the natural products at retail stores such as Whole Foods, Fred Meyer and New Seasons.

We have that professional image, said Ryan Brakefield, a shift supervisor who grew up eating organic food. We have these huge warehouses that youd probably never notice. But its made of 100 percent recycled material and sustainable products. Thats the whole idea behind it.

The additional features added less than 1 percent to the cost of construction, said Tom Dziki, the companys vice president for sustainable development in Connecticut.

We didnt do it for economic reasons, he said in a telephone interview. We did it because it was the right thing to do.

For United Natural Foods, an amalgamation of more than 30 acquisitions and mergers, the Ridgefield project was the first distribution center it built from the ground up.

The center, which opened in the fall of 2007, rose from the site of a former potato farm thats now part of the Union Ridge development east of Interstate 5. The building is the size of 4 football fields, but its surrounded by an open area designed to filter stormwater runoff through native vegetation.

Inside, employees are encouraged to promote environmental sustainability in their own lives.

For example, a bulletin board lists the winners of a dirty sock contest, in which employees briefly covered their tail pipes to discover who owned the least-polluting car. Inside the warehouse, subtle touches demonstrate the companys environmental commitment.

You cant go more than 20 feet without hitting a recycling bin, said Brent Bennett, another shift supervisor.

As forklifts scurry about plucking everything from Kettle Chips to Ben and Jerrys ice cream for delivery around Washington, Oregon and Idaho, motion sensors cause lights to activate only when theyre needed. Its all part of a general environmental commitment, said Jeffrey Graham, the companys human resources manager.

Its really putting our money where our mouth is, he said.

Originally published by Erik Robinson.

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