There was big news announced at this past week’s Green Meeting Industry Council Sustainable Meetings Conference in Chicago. After years in development, the final standard of the nine APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meetings Standards—the one focusing on accommodations—has been published and is available for purchase. The long name for the standard is, “E2772-13 Standard Specification for Evaluation and Selection of Accommodations for Environmentally Sustainable Meetings, Events, Trade Shows, and Conferences.” If your property hosts meetings, you definitely need to become familiar with the standard. I purchased the standard from ASTM International this past week ($43.26 with tax). It is 10 pages long.
As mentioned previously on Green Lodging News, a lodging (defined as “supplier” in the accommodations standard) or other meeting destination can now be certified to an ASTM standard. As described in the accommodations standard, there are four levels of achievement—each requiring the cooperation of the meeting planner and his or her team, as well as the cooperation of the hosting site. The standard addresses communication and record keeping, waste management, energy conservation, air quality, procurement, community partnering, and having a written environmental sustainability policy.
You really need to read the standard to understand all the requirements but I will give you a few examples. Under Level 1, under Waste Management, the supplier must achieve a minimum diversion rate of 25 percent for a particular event or 15 percent over the course of the year inclusive of the accommodation’s recycling, hazardous waste disposal and other methods of diversion including food waste composting. Under Level 1, Energy, a supplier must establish a greenhouse gas emissions baseline associated with the total energy consumption of their building. This baseline shall account for fuel that is combusted on-site (Scope 1 or “direct” emissions), as well as for purchased electricity (Scope 2 or “indirect” emissions).
Air Quality & Water
Under Level 1, Air Quality, a supplier must have a minimum of 75 percent of guestrooms designated nonsmoking and 100 percent of all other areas nonsmoking. Under Level 1, Water, a supplier must demonstrate a minimum of 25 percent use of the most up-to-date water conservation technology in all restrooms and guestrooms or an annual reduction of 10 percent water use intensity from an established baseline.
Under Level 1, Procurement, a supplier must use a minimum of 25 percent of environmentally preferable cleaning products and environmentally preferable laundry products. Under Level 1, Community Partners, one must partner with community organizations to reuse or repurpose, or both, surplus, reusable materials left from events that cannot otherwise be reused by the supplier.
Those interested in reaching levels higher than Level 1 must meet all of the lower level requirements plus those in the higher requirement. One example of a Level 4 requirement under Waste Management is that a supplier must achieve a minimum diversion rate of 50 percent for the event or 40 percent over the course of a year, inclusive of the accommodation’s recycling, hazardous waste disposal, and other methods of diversion, including food waste composting.
Not Perfect But Still Very Strong
Are the new accommodations standards perfect? No. They could have used one more proofreading, as I found a few errors. Some of the standards could be stronger. For example, there are no requirements that a site have all 100 percent nonsmoking guestrooms, even at Level 4. Of course I am just being my usual picky here.
The good news is that overall the standards are strong, thorough and they give all types of green lodging establishments a chance at meeting even Level 1 requirements. Much thought was given to progressively making the standards more challenging as one reaches Level 4. Kudos to those who worked on the standards for doing a great job with the increasingly more difficult levels.
E2772-13 is finally here. It will be interesting to see to what degree the accommodation standards are used and to what extent properties will certify to them. Be sure to let me know your thoughts on the new standards. I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com, or by phone at (216) 848-1406.
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Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (216) 848-1406, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (216) 848-1406, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
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