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March 23, 2009

Meeting Industry Aims to Cut Waste

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The average meeting attendee generates about 20 pounds of trash, and that's a number that the meeting industry would like to reduce.

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The average meeting attendee generates about 20 pounds of trash, and that’s a number that the meeting industry would like to reduce.

To coordinate the effort, the Green Meeting Industry Council is launching the Million Tons of Trash Challenge.

On Earth Day, April 22, the council will invite meeting planners, venues and hotels to measure the waste they recycle or compost. Participants can enter the total weight online and GMIC will formulate the total amount saved from the trash heap.

MCI Group, Meeting Strategies Worldwide, American Express Travel and Oracle Corporation are among the participants so far, according to GMIC.

The hospitality industry has numerous opportunities to jump on the green bandwagon, found Ernst & Young in Global Hospitality Insights (pdf).

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Reader Comments

The Million Tons of Trash program is a fantastic way to shine a light on the waste generated by the hospitality industry. It will no doubt raise awareness and help move hotels toward better waste management programs.

Sourcing goods locally is another great way to reduce the impact that hotels have on the environment. Check out my “Hotels Need Local Products” post to learn about several hotels that are focusing on using products supplied by regional vendors.

Matt Courtland | March 25th, 2009

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