MINNEAPOLIS—Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, which is currently undergoing a $25 million renovation of the hotel’s guestrooms, suites, public areas, and restaurants, announced that the renovation will include a variety of environmentally sustainable initiatives to reduce its ecological footprint. The Hyatt Regency Minneapolis Green Team has also introduced a number of eco-friendly protocols and service projects including extensive energy and recycling conservation programs.
Energy-saving initiatives from the renovation include converting all of the back of house lighting to LED, adding low flow plumbing fixtures for enhanced water savings (1.6 gal/flush), insulated drapery, closet light sensors, vending misers in all vending machines, new fan coil units with programmable thermostats, and occupancy sensors that will set rooms back to an energy saving temperature when rooms are vacant. Additionally, many materials from the renovation are being recycled, including metal, fixtures and shipping materials. The old furniture is being liquidated and items that are not sold will be donated to local charities.
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis will source many ingredients for its new restaurant and marketplace from local farmers and distributors, including cage free eggs, Ames Farm honey, Meyer All Natural Beef Burgers, and beer from Finnegans Brewery. The restaurant will also feature a new line of tableware, Dudson Evolution, which has the lowest carbon footprint of any ceramic hospitality tableware manufactured. Hyatt Regency Minneapolis will also continue to donate to Second Harvest Farms and will recycle all deep-fry oil. Additionally, the hotel has expanded recycling efforts by donating housekeeping items, including soap, shampoo, towels, and linens, as well as lost-and-found clothing to local area shelters. The Shipping and Receiving Department has also set up a station to reuse packing materials. In sum, 43 percent of all waste is recycled by the hotel, which equates to 34 tons of recycled waste in 2011.
The Hyatt Regency Minneapolis Green Team has also introduced numerous eco-friendly service projects including the H.E.A.T. Bowl, which is a competition between departments that involves achievements in recycling, reducing and reusing. The team also introduced recycling programs for computers, batteries, ink cartridges, cell phones, and other small electronics, in addition to an office supply swap where employees can shop for their office needs, a storage space garage sale, and a coffee mug punch card. Unused items from the garage sale and office supply swap will be donated to local shelters and schools. The Green Team has also organized seasonal education presentations for employees regarding energy conservation and growing local gardens.
For Earth Day, the hotel will participate in a spring cleanup project at Loring Park and in employees’ neighborhoods. They will also participate in a 5K Recycle Run to raise money for the city of Minneapolis to use for educational purposes. Near the end of the year, the hotel will participate in America Recycles Day, Koats for Kids with the Salvation Army, holiday light recycling, and collecting holiday cards for children at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Go to the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.
