Corporate Responsibility: Environment
Greening Is Fundamental
At the Walter E. Washington Convention Center it is our intent to provide a strong eco-knowledgeable platform/foundation to enhance our meeting planner’s personal environmental strategy.
No matter what shade of green your current practices are, there are simple inexpensive ways to incorporate sustainability into your event. By choosing the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, you have made the first step in being green. Here are some additional practices you can consider in producing your next event:
Communication
- Commitment starts with you. Understand the level of commitment from your executives or association directors.
- Develop an environmental strategy.
- Communicate your plan to participants and service providers.
- Use your website to communicate your sustainable practice efforts, as well as the commitment of the venue.
- Encourage your presenters to offer materials, presentations online or on a disk.
- Require exhibitors to use a percentage of biodegradable or recycled materials.
- Encourage exhibitors to avoid foam core.
- Include our recycling guidelines in your exhibitor kits. Recycling Guidelines
- Require decorators to create and manage space for donated items (i.e. leftover materials or promotional items, at the end of the show).
Transportation
- Provide information about local public transportation.
- Arrange for shuttle service to and from airports.
- Encourage use of public transportation from airports.
- Select hotels within walking distance of the Center.
- Choose hybrid or electric vehicles for pre-arranged private vehicle transportation.
- Offer carbon offset programs.
Food & Beverage
- Consider locally grown menu items.
- Select sustainable seafood. Seafood Watch and Safe Seafood
- Use china or biodegradable ware.
- Maximize compost effort.
- Choose not to serve bottled water.
- Choose not to pre-fill drinking water. Serve upon request only.
- Eliminate the use of boxes for lunches. Use reusable containers, lunch bags, etc
- Use signage to promote sustainable food choices - seasonal, local, organic, etc.
To further enhance your environmental strategy, contact Angelique Cofield, Quality Assurance at (202) 249-3203 or
acofield@dcconvention.com.