StopWaste’s office building in Oakland recently earned a 2-Star rating from Fitwel, the world’s leading certification system for buildings designed and operated to support occupant health and well-being. 

“StopWaste has achieved a very significant accomplishment as the first public sector building in California to achieve Fitwel certification at a 2 Star Rating,” said Reena Agarwal, COO at the Center for Active Design, a global nonprofit that runs the Fitwel certification system. “This achievement reflects StopWaste’s groundbreaking efforts to further their sustainability initiatives by supporting the health and well-being of their employees.”

Numerous features help make the 14,000-square-foot building a healthy workplace for StopWaste’s employees. The downtown location gets high marks for walkability and proximity to public transit. Secure indoor storage for bicycles makes it easier to bike to work, and a staircase connecting the building’s two floors is centrally located to encourage physical activity. Most of the workspaces receive ample daylight, and both floors have comfortable areas for breaks and lunch activities.

“Since we first purchased and renovated our building 14 years ago, we’ve continued to make design and operations improvements to prioritize the well-being of our employees and visitors,” said Wendy Sommer, StopWaste’s Executive Director.

StopWaste has long been a leader in sustainable building design and operations. In 2007, it was the first in the nation to receive the LEED Green Building Rating System’s Platinum certification for a commercial building renovation. In 2014, StopWaste was the first in the world to earn Platinum certification under version 4 of LEED for Existing Buildings-Operations & Maintenance. 

The energy-efficient building is also ENERGY STAR certified and the small garden at the back of the building was designed to be a sustainable landscape. 

“A healthy, green building isn’t a one and done deal,” said Sommer. “We periodically take a fresh look at our workplace and ask ourselves not only how we can reduce waste but how we can be more supportive of people’s health and well-being.”