MGM Resorts Wins Green Key Eco Award

by | Jul 19, 2010

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MGM Resorts has won the Green Key designation for the efficiency and sustainability of its operations at 12 resorts, according to a report in Nevada Appeal.

The resorts include 11 in Las Vegas and one in Michigan, according to the company, and are the first hotels in both states to receive the Green Key designation. Green Key evaluates hotels on a scale of one to five Keys, with five Keys being the highest ranking. Results are based on a comprehensive evaluation of the hotel’s sustainability efforts.

The properties earning “5 Keys” are ARIA and Vdara at CityCenter. “4 Keys” designations went to: Bellagio, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand Las Vegas, The Mirage, Monte Carlo, New York-New York and MGM Grand Detroit. Circus Circus Las Vegas earned a “3 Keys” designation.

MGM Resorts’ focuses on five goals – natural resources conservation, sustainable construction and renovation, waste management, sustainable procurement, and communication and education.

The company says it diverted more than 20,000 tons of material from landfills from its properties last year. Content ranged from thousands of wine corks, to hundreds of gallons of hydraulic oil used by the revolving stage in the MGM Grand’s KÀ Theater. The company also contributes to mainstream recycling efforts and represents about 21 percent of the glass recycled in Clark County, Nevada.

Other recent initiatives at MGM Resorts International include retrofitting lighting with energy-saving fixtures, implementation of Variable Frequency Drives which conserve energy, upgrading boilers to more efficient models, landscaping with drought-tolerant plants and installing water-saving, low-flow plumbing fixtures.

ARIA and Vdara were also each awarded the LEED Gold Certification for sustainable design and construction from the U.S. Green Building Council. The company says the two properties offer sustainable options for meeting and convention planners, feature a fleet of guest limousines powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), and include organic foods on its restaurant menus.

Other hotels and resorts have recently sought to increase their efficiency and sustainability initiatives. The Hyatt Regency Boston managed to reduce its energy costs by 42 percent, from 12.3 million kWh to 7.1 million kWh, over the last decade, while Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide announced that it has set a target of reducing its energy consumption by 30 percent and reducing its water consumption by 20 percent by 2020.

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