To complement its mission to improve health and enhance lives, Van Andel Institute (VAI) seeks to reduce its impact on the environment in several ways to preserve and improve it for future generations.
VAI Green Team
Formed in 2008, the VAI Green Team is a cross-departmental group of employees whose mission is to promote and support green initiatives such as sustainable practices, green products and services, and efforts to recycle, reduce, and reuse within the Institute. The team does this through education, communication, volunteerism, and coordination of green activities and events. Commuting and recycling are two major areas of focus. The team has significantly expanded VAI’s recycling program, facilitating easy access to recycle plastics 1-7, glass, Styrofoam, aluminum, and alkaline batteries. Events hosted by the team include: an annual Earth Day celebration, a sustainability presentation series, bike-to-work days, electronics recycling weeks, and a river clean-up day.
LEED Certification
Van Andel Institute’s Phase II building expansion will be LEED certified 
, a nationally accepted benchmark to recognize buildings whose design, construction, and features reduce environmental impact. Green building materials improve indoor air quality and reduce greenhouse gases, and building features will reduce the need for water and energy. (learn more about Phase II's green features) The project also included cleaning up the construction site, which was home to a gas station in the 1950’s and 60’s. The site was a “Certified Brownfield” site because leaky underground tanks contaminated the soil.
VAI Green Stats from 2008
- 6 tons of cardboard and paper recycled
- 7,300 bottles recycled
- 3,000 pounds of waste diverted from landfill or incinerator
- 6,000 pounds of electronic waste recycled
- 9,000 gallons of water saved through micro-fiber mopping systems
- 180 KWH less energy consumed through use of 330 compact fluorescent lamps
