EcoGreenOffice Partner Spotlight: The Colorado Convention Center

To let our readers know what EcoGreenOffice partners are doing to become and stay eco-friendly, we’ll be spotlighting a partner’s business and green initiatives every week.

This week we’re spotlighting the Colorado Convention Center.

The Colorado Convention Center, based in Denver, Colo., is well known as one of the most practical and “user-friendly” meeting facilities, and hosts more than 400 events annually. 

The Convention Center is committed to four core values: Mindfulness, Integrity, Transparency and Accountability.  Achieving these core values means being a leader in sustainability. 

“Every year we try to build upon what we are doing and make it a little but more robust,” says Lindsay Arell, the sustainability programs manager for the Convention Center.

Reducing waste, as well as energy and water usage are included in the Convention’s Centers sustainability plan.  Improving air quality and community relations are also included. 

Highlights of their sustainability initiatives include a 300kw rooftop Solar Array, and replacing grass near the facility with native and drought resistant plants.  All convention center employees are provided with a free ECO-pass to encourage use of the light rail and bus transportation.   

Additionally, single stream recycling can be found throughout the facility.  The Convention Center also has a back of the house compost collection program, and an advanced donation program for leftover conference materials.  Local nonprofits and organizations are contacted about these leftover materials.  Almost 30,000 pounds of material were donated the first year the program began.  These initiatives helped the Convention Center achieve a 48 percent diversion rate for the facility in 2010. 

Recent EcoGreenOffice research found the benefits of supporting locally owned, small business in the community. 

The Convention Center also has an environmental purchasing policy.  For example, all office paper must be made from at least 50 percent post consumer content, and all toilet and tissue paper must be made from at least 30 percent post consumer content.  EcoGreenOffice is helping the Convention Center achieve these goals.    

“I’m glad to see EcoGreenOffice is growing and continuing to offer their service,” Arell says.   

 The eco-friendly office supply store company regularly offers a variety of paper that is made entirely of post consumer content at a discounted price, such as the ASPEN 100% Recycled Office Paper.

  

All members of the Convention Center’s Operations Team are always looking for new sustainable solutions in managing their facilities.

“It’s become less of me as a sustainability manager, and has become more a group effort,” she says. 

For example, electricians working for the Convention Center noticed their extension cords could be recycled, Arell says.  After the Convention Center began recycling the cords, they benefited economically as well, saving about $600 a couple times a year. 

Groups efforts have also helped the Convention Center to earn the certification of LEED:EBOM (Existing Building Operation and Maintenance).

 “It’s been exciting to work with the Convention Center to help implement these programs and see our employees get more engaged and see how it has tricked into their everyday life,” Arell says. 

EcoGreenOffice supplies office paper made from 100% post-consumer content, helping businesses like the Colorado Convention Center achieve their sustainable initiatives.