Close-Up: Sustainable Practices Around the Region
by Apryl Chapman Thomas
Environmentally responsible. What does that phrase mean to you and your property? Nowadays, to stay competitive, you need to implement the four R’s: recycle, reuse, reduce and recover.
So, what’s everyone doing when it comes to sustainable practices? Here’s a quick look at some properties around the region:
Emory Conference Center Hotel: Single-Stream Recycling
Both guests and employees at Emory Conference Center Hotel (EECH) in Atlanta, Ga., used to recycle the regular way by sorting items into seven different bins. Effective, but tedious. Of course, that was then and this is now. Recently the property has introduced single-stream recycling. A relatively new procedure in recycling, single-stream recycling allows everything (“all plastic, all colored paper, all paper types, card board, scrap metal; nearly everything that can be recycled except for food and bathroom waste,” says Kathryn Johnson, general manager) to be placed in one centralized bin. EECH is the only hotel in the state of Georgia doing this.
“Single-stream recycling has made it much easier,” says Johnson. “We were always training new hires on the correct way to recycle—what to recycle and how to sort. Now everything gets placed into one bin.”
She adds that since ECCH has implemented this new procedure, it has cut back on its trash considerably. “It’s fun to see how much tonnage we recycle each month. It’s almost like a game. We ‘spy’ in each others’ trash cans to see if there is anything that should have been placed in the bin.” While she says they aren’t perfect and sometimes things do slip into the trash can, everyone is becoming more attuned to what should be recycled.
Guests are encouraged to pitch in as well. There are recycle boxes in various vending areas. Also, there is information in the rooms about the property’s ongoing green effort.
Beyond recycling, the property also has a new 1,500-lb food compost unit in its conference dining kitchen that grinds food waste (“everything, including bones,” comments Johnson) into water.
EECH was one of the first five hotels to completely implement green/eco-friendly practices throughout the property. Johnson recalls that in 2003, Georgia’s governor, Sonny Perdue, sent a letter to the industry encouraging it to implement green initiatives. “We decided to go for it. We put a green team together and divided up the criteria,” recalls Johnson. “We pulled it off. We are the only one out of the original five that still remains green.”
Today, EECH is the only Green Seal certified hotel in Georgia. Additionally, part of the property’s expansion has been certified LEED Silver by the U.S. Building Council. The existing building is working toward receiving LEED EB certification. This would make the property the only LEED Certified hotel in Atlanta.
What does a property have to do to become certified? Well, there are a number of requirements, and EECH meets them by using earth-friendly practices such as not using Styrofoam products and having room key cards made from cornstarch. The property also uses nontoxic cleaning chemicals. The gift shop sells a social awareness line made from bamboo. In the office, the printer is set to print on both sides of the paper.
“It’s little things that make a difference,” states Johnson. “Some of it may be a little more expensive, but it pays off for itself. We have booked a lot of business because of our green initiatives.”
For more information, visit www.emoryconferencecenter.com/green_seal.html
Sandpearl Resort: On the Way to Becoming LEED Certified
When it comes to being green/eco-friendly, Sandpearl Resort is not wasting any time. Open for 10 months, the property has already implemented a number of initiatives as it works on obtaining LEED Silver status.
“It’s a huge and lengthy process,” comments Stuart Arp, general manager. “We get points for different things based on certain criteria.”
Already meeting the requirements of Florida’s Green Lodging Program, Arp admits that the LEED certification process is quite extensive. Everything is taken into consideration, from the construction materials used (50 percent of the materials used by Sandpearl were recycled materials) to housekeeping’s cleaning chemicals.
Currently, the eco-friendly practices include dedicated areas for recycle bins for the staff and guests. The property’s housekeeping department uses Ecolab’s G line of Oasis products for cleaning. The products meet the 3.4 criteria of Green Seals Environmental Standards for Lodging Properties. The resort has an ozone laundry system that doesn’t use any hot water and requires fewer chemicals. Speaking of fewer chemicals, the property’s geothermal pool is ozone treated as well.
The kitchen uses biodegradable products from World Centric that include straws, napkins and disposable utensils, cups, containers, trash bags and carryout bags. All ingredients are purchased locally to avoid fuel waste from shipping. Future plans include an organic herb garden on the hotel’s roof.
The guestrooms’ amenities are from Gilchrist & Soames, which Arp remarks has a strong environmentally friendly program. Another feature of the rooms is the in-room energy management system. According to Arp, once the guest leaves the room, the heat/air returns to the set-back level. “In the summer, the unit returns to 78 degrees, and in the winter, it returns to 65 degrees.”
It doesn’t end there. The spa features earth-friendly products, and there are also eco-friendly touches in the condo-suites.
Guests are made of aware of the property’s green process on the website, in brochures and in the guest directory. In the lobby, a wall display focuses on the steps that Sandpearl has taken to become LEED Certified.
Additional information can be found here.
21c Museum Hotel: A Modern and Urban Approach
The concept of 21c Museum Hotel grew out of the owners’ love for contemporary art and desire to revitalize downtown Louisville, Ky. “There’s a lot of suburban sprawl going on, and the owners really wanted to bring people back to downtown to live, work and play,” says Sarah Robbins, vice president of operations. “So, opening the hotel was the best way to attract people back to the area.”
Now, the hotel wouldn’t be built downtown from the ground up; no, the perfect place was located on Main Street in the vacant 19th century warehouses and a former bank building. The next step was to salvage as much of the original materials as possible to use in the new hotel. The reclaimed wood floor joists were used for the hostess stand, the bar, the tabletops in the restaurant and the registration desk. In addition, many of the original windows were saved and restored. In 2006, the five historic vacant buildings opened as a 91-room boutique hotel with a contemporary art gallery that could hold its own against any well-known art museum. “By revitalizing urban sprawl, it helps the green effort,” says Robbins.
The sustainable practices didn’t stop with the reusing of available materials. According to Robbins, end grain pieces were used for the property’s lobby floor. This type of flooring doesn’t require sub-flooring and minimizes manufacturer waste. Recycled carpet can be found in the restaurant, Proof on Main. The restaurant also employs LED light boxes, which produce more light per watt than traditional bulbs.
Proof on Main has established other green practices as well. “We are fortunate to be located in the Ohio River Valley,” Robbins comments. “We have great produce available at our fingertips. We use local farmers to provide us and the guests with the best products. Also, our owners have a bison farm about 10 miles from town. Here, we practice ‘farm to table.’” The restaurant also has a rooftop garden that grows herbs and heirloom tomatoes.
Robbins points out that there have been challenges along the way. “Getting vendors to help ensure that items are not only high quality, but green as well has been a process. However, as the interest in green/eco-friendly material continues to grow, it’s getting easier to find the products.”
More information can be found at www.21chotel.com/hotel/explore/green-commitment.aspx
Callaway Gardens: Investing in the Future, Today
“We have to start somewhere,” says Rebecca Crumbly, public relations director for Callaway Gardens. “Purchasing hours of renewable energy credits to offset all of our electricity use is a great and different type of program to be a part of.”
Working with Renewable Choice Energy (www.renewablechoice.com), the property pays the power company bill and then turns around to purchase wind credits. The wind credits help establish more wind farms across the nation. “Even though we don’t have wind farms here yet, we’re actively promoting, subsidizing and sponsoring it,” says Crumbly. “We are doing more than walking the walk, but also creating the demand.” She adds that as more demand grows for wind power, more wind farms will be built. More importantly, little by little the brown power becomes more green.
Callaway is the first resort in the Southeast and the fifth largest in the nation to actively support wind energy. Additionally, the resort makes brochures available for visitors who might also be interested in purchasing wind credits.
Callaway Gardens is a 2007 recipient of the Argon Award for Success in Sustainability from Southface Institute. Crumbly comments that sustainability has always be important to the resort, and it has made a real commitment with its environmentally friendly initiatives. These include an on-property recycling program, use of compact florescent bulbs and installation of recycled carpet. Callaway Gardens also grows native plants to minimize water use and uses collected water for irrigation.
For more information, visit www.callawaygardens.com/callaway/info/about.green.aspx |
