DC's Hospitality Industry Gets Greener with New Programs

In an effort to meet demands for corporate social responsibility, DC's hotels, meeting spaces and transportation providers are taking new steps to go green.

DC Hotels Launch New Green Meeting Programs

While DC hotels like the Fairmont, Omni Shoreham and Hyatt Regency have implemented environmental programs like recycling, use of low-flow fixtures and toilets, compact florescent light bulbs, and optional linen reuse campaigns, the green meeting movement is gathering steam. The Willard InterContinental just unveiled its Willard Green Meeting, an optional eco-conscious meeting program that incorporates earth-friendly activities and practices into the meeting structure. Green meetings start with ice breakers that invite you to calculate your carbon footprint, leading up to "eco-vision breaks," a nature-focused meeting break where attendees experience local food, sights and sounds or exotic environments in need of care and preservation.

The Four Seasons Washington, DC has just implemented a program that allows meeting planners to "determine your shade of green." In addition to chilled pitchers of water and recycled notepads, planners can opt to keep the room at a comfortable 70 degrees to save energy. The hotel also offers an option to oxygenate the room naturally by adding an assortment of plants.

Kimpton Hotels takes the whole green meetings a step further. "Great Meetings, Great Causes" offer clients booking a meeting at one of their properties a choice of incentives to go green. Planners can opt for a complimentary upgrade to Kimpton's EarthCare meeting, 1 complimentary room night at a Kimpton property or even choose to have Kimpton donate $100 to one of its not-for-profit partners, the Trust for Public Land, Dress for Success and local HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness charities or to the client's charitable partner of choice.

Hotels aren't the only meeting venues getting in on the action. The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center has just launched its Green Meeting and Events Package, which encourages event planners to engage in earth-friendly practices. Planners are urged to use reusable cloth, ceramic and glass whenever possible for serving and corn cups and sugar-cane plates when disposable items are unavoidable. Planners are also encouraged to reduce waste by serving water in carafes instead of bottles and printing documents double-sided.

For greener meetings on a larger scale, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center takes steps to reduce its carbon footprint through computer-controlled HVAC systems and earth-friendly building techniques. To promote local businesses, supplies are sourced from District based companies to reduce emissions from delivery vehicles. Some of the building vendors like the food court and housekeeping partners are even using green vendors such as Ecolab, a company that supplies environmentally sustainable products for a variety of industries.

DC Transportation Company Joins Green Ride Global

Fleet Transportation is taking major strides to go green by becoming the first DC-based transportation company to join Green Ride Global, a North American firm that provides environmental sustainability programs for the transportation industry. Fleet has committed to annually reduce its greenhouse gas emissions through fuel efficiency efforts, new technologies, reduced electricity use, waste diversion, recycling programs, and employee education.

With its new green commitment, Fleet is also helping its clients to meet their commitments to reducing their own emissions. "The DC market sees a heavy saturation of government and political audiences who - in addition to corporate and retail clients - are scrutinizing their supply chains and selecting service providers who can offer them an environmentally sustainable option," says David A. Glazier, president & CEO, Fleet. "By using Fleet Transportation's services, we are helping our clients reduce their own Scope 3 emissions." GHG emissions caused indirectly by an organization's or individual's activities are called Scope 3 Emissions. For example, a company that sends an employee to the airport in a taxi cab is responsible for the emissions caused by that trip, even though that company is not in the taxi business.

For more information, visit fleettransportation.com.