DOWNEY : Gas Company Opens ‘Recycled’ Building

Southern California Gas Co. has opened a building constructed mostly with recycled material.

For example, the Energy Resource Center’s steel frame is made from weapons that were melted down after being confiscated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Scraps from plastic gas-company pipes were mixed into the walkway pavement at the main entrance. Outdoor benches were made from melted-down plastic milk containers.

“We see the building as a living example of what we would like (businesses) to do,”said John Picard, the project’s environmental consultant.

The $7.9-million complex at 9240 E. Firestone Blvd. has an exhibit hall, 700-seat auditorium and a dozen specialty rooms for meetings and demonstrations on using energy efficiently and creating environmentally friendly workplaces.