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At this year's BlogHer conference, we are proud to showcase the steps we have taken to further green our event. Past efforts are being recycled, but we have taken new steps and hope you will find we are working to improve our Green Initiatives with each conference. Read on for the details:
VENUE
BlogHer takes a proactive approach when selecting a host venue, ensuring they have strong sustainability practices and that they continually work to improve their impact on the planet. This year was no exception. The Hilton New York has a strong sustainability policy and continues to find ways to be a strong corporate citizen in New York City. Here are some additional items that are not on their website:
- To reduce landfill waste, we utilize a state-of-the art organic waste decomposition system. Every day it breaks down up to 1,200 pounds of wet garbage.
- We saved approximately 650,000 plastic key cards from clogging landfills annually by switching to biodegradable cards, which break down in as little as nine months.
- Every day we keep approximately 12,000 disposable glass and plastic bottles from the landfill. All of the water served in our restaurants and in room dining is purified on-site into re-usable glass bottles.
- We also donate food from our banqueting operations to City Harvest, a non-profit organization that provides meals to New Yorkers in need.
- Our guests even have the option of making an impact. We implemented a linen and towel reuse program, along with an "opt in" program that allows guests to "opt out" of housekeeping services during their stay.
- 90 percent of all light bulbs at the hotel are energy efficient. Meeting rooms have motion-activated lights. Our newly transformed Mercury Ballroom rotunda features eco-friendly LED lighting, which delivers greater efficiency and better appeal.
- We outsource our laundry to a company that uses state-of-the-art energy and water-efficient washing machines.
- We eliminated Styrofoam; use recycled content copy paper; and replaced small glass condiment jars in the banqueting department with more eco-friendly serving containers.
GREEN TEAM
Once again, we enlisted the community to help BlogHer go green, or at least become a little darker green than years past. With the help of our liaison, Sommer Poquette, and the other members of the Team, we were able to once again provide guidance to BlogHer sponsors -- and of course we learned a little something along the way.
Last year, PepsiCo enlisted the help of the Team to get their feedback on all things bottled, and this year Future Friendly called on the Team to direct and guide them on how to be better prepared in the Swag Exchange, the onsite location where attendees can exchange swag items instead of leaving them behind.
Thank you again, Green Team:
- Sommer Poquette of Green and Clean Mom and 3 Green Angels
- Jennifer Neal of nakedjen, nakedeats, and dreamsweet organic medicinals
- Diane MacEachern, publisher, Big Green Purse and author, Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World
- Lisa Nelsen-Woods of Condo Blues and Business & Finance Contributor for Blissfully Domestic
- Jenny Bradford of Conscientious Confusion and A Family Is Us
- Beth Terry of Fake Plastic Fish
- Calley Pate of The Eco Chic blog
ONLINE CONFERENCE GUIDE
As in years past, we have once again created an online-only conference guide. This is a comprehensive guide to all things BlogHer '10 while onsite. We encourage attendees to review this guide and only print pages that are critical to a successful event experience. PS: There will be a map and abbreviated agenda onsite for attendees too!
THE SWAG EXCHANGE
With the help of our sponsor, Future Friendly, all unused/unwanted swag will be collected and donated to the Salvation Army in New York City. The Swag Exchange will remain open throughout the conference, on level 2 in the Gibson Suite. Stop by and perhaps exchange an item or two.
WATER
Once again, we will have a conference that is free of bottled water –- but do not fret, as we will have water stations set in the back of every session room and in various locations throughout the venue including the exposition halls. In addition, Filtrete will be providing water bottles in the tote and PUR will be onsite with water stations –- and of course, you can bring your own water bottle if you prefer.
MEALS
Every year, we make a concerted effort to only order the amount of food we believe will be consumed to avoid waste. In the past, we have not
