Zero Waste

Walking the Talk: Progress toward Zero Waste in 2007

At EGA we believe in walking our talk. Each year we work with the Retreat site to encourage the best environmental practices, during our retreat and beyond. For the past four years, we worked with a team of consultants to successfully reduce waste and environmental impact during the EGA retreat, while also leaving behind increased knowledge and infrastructure for the host venue to keep working toward Zero Waste long afterward.

“Zero Waste” refers to a set of principles and systems to reduce both the volume and toxicity of waste. This means making less waste to begin with, and maximizing the reuse, recycling, or composting of any discards generated. Within the setting of our retreats, EGA has adopted a Zero Waste target of reducing waste going to landfill by at least 80% and ensuring no waste is incinerated from our meetings.

Beginning in the early stages of retreat planning, we strive to design waste out of the system, greatly reducing the amount of paper, toxics, and other materials used, and to reuse and recycle as much as possible. Through avoided materials use and intensive recycling and composting, we have succeeded in reducing waste at previous retreats by as much as 83%! In 2004 EGA also began offering a carbon-offset program through which retreat participants could invest in renewable energies to offset the environmental impact of their flights to the Retreat. For 2007 we are making this carbon offset a standard part of registration for the Retreat.

This year we are again fortunate to have a host facility that fully shares our environmental values and has already implemented extensive recycling and other environmental practices on-site.

The Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa has many programs in place throughout different areas of the hotel to help the environment.

• Many products are recycled including electronics, heavy metals, mercury, light bulbs, CRT’s, waste oil, and mineral spirits. 
• Compact fluorescent lighting is used, energy saving incandescent lamps, and water based and low VOC paints whenever possible. 
• There is a minimum of 15% outside air intake on all HVAC & a minimum of quarterly filter changes. 
• Use of ECOLAB brand of cleaning products to help minimize the use of harmful chemicals. 
• Bat houses are in place to promote natural insect control. 

In order to reduce the consumption of water:

• Use of sewage effluent (gray water) to supplement golf course irrigation.
• Low flow, 1.5 gpm, aerators on all sink faucets.
• 2.0 gpm on all shower heads, low flow
• 1 gpf on urinals and 1.6 gpf on toilets. 
• Automatic flush valves and sink faucets in all public area restrooms. 
• Linen/towel reuse program in our guest rooms. 

Other Green Programs in Place:

• Purchase bulk dispensers for salt, pepper, cream and other condiments.
  
• Use china at coffee breaks unless requested otherwise. 
• Use locally produced seasonal and/or organic food and beverages when possible. 
• The Hyatt Tamaya has contracted with a local composter to compost all of EGA’s food waste over the four days we are there.
• Towels and sheets are re-used at the request of the guest.

EGA’s involvement will include the following priorities:

Prevention: We strive to reduce the amount of paper and materials used for the retreat, producing fewer, shorter printed materials and relying as much as possible on web-based and electronic information. We also ask participants to refrain from bringing unrecyclable materials—such as disposable batteries or PVC plastic folders—on-site. And as always, we reuse as many materials as possible, including the plastic name badges.

Recycling: As usual, we will have recycling containers throughout the retreat site for recovering materials.

Composting: Composting food waste is essential for any facility or community to go beyond a 50% reduction in solid waste. Hyatt Tamaya has contracted with a local composter.  Soilutions, Inc. to compost all of EGA Retreat’s food waste.  We strongly encourage the Hyatt Tamaya to continue this practice once we are gone.

Food: We pride ourselves on working with each retreat site to create a menu that maximizes the use of sustainable, locally grown, organic food, with delicious results. We avoid single-serving containers and over-packaged items in order to minimize materials wasted.

Climate Neutral: This year’s registration fee will include a mandatory contribution toward green energy to help offset the greenhouse gases we each generate in traveling to the retreat.

And the best part is you get to participate! At the retreat site look for clearly labeled recycling bins and instructions for helping to achieve our Zero Waste goal. And please bring your laptop and flash drives or extra disks so that you can exchange information electronically at the retreat (and save the weight of carrying all that extra paper back home). 

Any other ideas or feedback? If you have feedback on the Zero Waste programs of previous years, or ideas on how to do even more, please let us know. We’re always looking for new ideas and welcome your input. Please contact our event planner Linda Smith with your suggestions at . 

Special thanks to Ann Leonard, Coordinator of the Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption and Linda Smith of Environmental Resource Specialists for their commitment to this year’s Zero Waste Retreat!