Since September 2016, Benchmark has been an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council, “a movement of community leaders, professionals, businesses and innovators working to accomplish a single bold vision: healthy, efficient and equitable buildings and communities for all.” As a member, the company is supporting green building as well as the development of LEED, the world’s most well-known and widely used green building program. According to the USGBC, “LEED certified buildings save money by using less energy and water, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offer a healthier indoor environment for occupants, which reduces sick days and increases productivity.”

Benchmark has had the opportunity to partner with several companies on LEED certified projects over the years, including Palomar Medical Center, SONY, and La Jolla Commons, to name a few. We recently elevated our LEED participation by acquiring the LEED Green Associate credential, which denotes basic knowledge of green design, construction, and operations. This knowledge allows Benchmark to serve as valuable advisors to clients looking not only to gain and/or maintain LEED certification, but also to be more sustainable.

In addition to LEED, Benchmark practices sustainability in every day business operations and is always looking for innovative ways to add value to the services we provide to clients. For maintenance work, we use mulching mowers to return grass clippings to the soil and reduce waste, which is then sent to a  facility that recycles it into other agricultural products such as mulch. We reduce fire hazards and control invasive plants, thus preserving native habitat, through brush management. We reduce water waste by performing irrigation audits, tracking water meters, installing decomposed granite and permeable pavers to allow rainwater to return to natural aquifers instead of being lost as run off, and converting to xeric plantings. We also source local materials whenever possible to reduce CO2 emissions from transportation and reduce projects’ carbon footprint.

Contact us to find out more on how we can make your property or next project more sustainable!