Mars Wrigley plant which has been under construction for the last three years in Kenya has received the LEED GOLD certification for adopting green building strategies and practices in its design and construction.
“We have adopted the latest construction technology that ensures the facility is energy efficient, pollution free and people friendly,” said Wrigley Middle East and Africa market development director Wanja Mwangi.
Some of the green features incorporated in the factory include: a biomass boiler, highly efficient utility equipment, waste water treatment plant, the use of skylights and many windows in both the factory and office to allow the site to operate during the daylight hours with very few electric lights among others.
The new factory, which is constructed on a 20-acre piece of land in Athi River will replace the company’s old plant located in Nairobi’s Industrial Area. Its construction began in 2015 with the official opening scheduled to take place this year.
The plant which has been constructed at a cost of Ksh7 billion will annually churn out 7.8 billion pellets of chewing gum once operational.
The company’s investment in a new facility was driven by the need to meet growing demand for the firm’s products in Africa, while improving capacity and technology.
It is expected to serve a growing market that includes Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Djibouti, DRC and South Sudan.
Ms Mwangi said that Mars Wrigley aims to cut all fossil fuel energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from our operations by 2040.
“Through our global sustainability agenda dubbed ‘Sustainable in a Generation,’ Mars Incorporated looks to secure positive impacts for business, people, and the planet.”
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world run by the US Green Building Council.