Green Meetings

It's Easy Being Green

The ACCVB has its own office recycling program. Each department has their own paper recycling bin. Along with those efforts, all plastic and glass is also deposited into recycling containers, and our file folders are used four different times. Any ACCVB memos, letters, or magazines are circulated to avoid distributing individual copies. We are continuously looking towards integrating additional green principles into our workplace.

Our Green Footprint

Simple ideas you and your colleagues can do at work to reduce your carbon footprint:

• All printers and copiers default to two-sided printing
• Make all letters two-sided
• Ditch the bottled water and bring your favorite water container or coffee cup from home that can be washed and reused
• Make sure all your office lighting is fluorescent
• Keep your office thermostat at a lower, but comfortable level

Simple tips for a greener hotel:

• Implement a recycling program.
• Install water-saving devices for all showerheads, toilets, and faucets.
• Encourage recycling in guestrooms by placing a bin in each room.
• Use soap, shampoo, and lotion dispensers versus individual bottles.
• Set up a linen and towel reuse program.
• Install programmable thermostats in all guestrooms.
• Guests and housekeeping should shut blinds, turn off lights, and turn down the heat or air-conditioning in empty guestrooms.
• Use water pitcher and glasses or decomposable cups.
• Utilize bulk containers instead of sugar, jam, and syrup individual serving packets.
• Encourage bag lunches versus box lunches.
• Use living plants as centerpieces instead of cut flowers. If you must use cut flowers, recycle at several events.

How about implementing a greener meeting? A green meeting incorporates environmental considerations throughout all stages of the meeting process in order to minimize the negative impact on the environment. An average meeting produces 61 pounds of solid waste, uses 846 gallons of water, produces 1,419 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, and a typical five-day conference for 2,500 attendees will use 90,000 cans or bottles, 75,000 cups and 87,500 napkins.

Here are some meeting planner tips on how to make your event a little more eco-friendly:

• Include environmental criteria in the RFP and contracts.
• Linen and towel reuse program; make sure this is announced to all meeting attendees.
• Use reusable dishes, silverware, linens, and decorations.
• In-room energy savings program.
• Paperless registration and communication. Does the hotel have paperless checkout procedures?
• Is the hotel located within walking distance to other city attractions or easily accessible by public transportation?
• Choose food in season from the local area.
• Evaluate the green event and celebrate its success.

For additional green information please visit the Green Industry Council atwww.greenmeetings.info/; or Meeting Planners International at http://www.mpiweb.org/. Start anywhere in the process, but it is important for each and every one of us to just start.

How about implementing a greener meeting?

A green meeting incorporates environmental considerations throughout all stages of the meeting process in order to minimize the negative impact on the environment. An average meeting produces 61 pounds of solid waste, uses 846 gallons of water, produces 1,419 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions and a typical five-day conference for 2,500 attendees will use 90,000 cans or bottles, 75,000 cups and 87,500 napkins.

Meeting planner tips on how to make your event a little more eco-friendly:

• Include environmental criteria in the RFP and contracts.
• Linen and towel reuse program; make sure this is announced to all meeting attendees.
• Use reusable dishes, silverware, linens, and decorations.
• In-room energy savings program.
• Paperless registration and communication. Does the hotel have paperless checkout procedures?
• Is the hotel located within walking distance to other city attractions or easily accessible by public transportation?
• Choose food in season from the local area.
• Evaluate the green event and celebrate its success.

For additional green information, please visit the Green Industry Council at http://www.greenmeetings.info/ or Meeting Planners International at http://www.mpiweb.org/. Start anywhere in the process, but it is important for each and every one of us to just start.