General Information & Sustainability Efforts
SUSTAINABILITY AT THE CONFERENCE
This year we are enhancing our sustainability efforts in a number of exciting ways. Some of these are being taken care of behind the scenes and others we would like to ask your participation in.
Food and Beverage
In an effort to reduce our waste generation, single-servings of bottled beverages will not be provided during this conference. Instead we will be serving beverages in glasses and ceramic cups. Please feel free to bring a reusable beverage container (you will even get an additional raffle ticket, see below for more details). We will also not be serving foods or condiments in single-serve containers.
We will serve thoughtfully crafted, locally sourced, delicious vegetarian meals at our conference. Depending on the specifics and metrics being used, a vegetarian entrée generates as little as 1/10 the environmental impacts as does a meat-based entrée. Please consider choosing our vegetarian menu option.
For our guests who prefer meat-based entrées, we have worked with the hotel staff and will only serve sustainably harvested and lower environmental impact meals. We will not be serving beef or lamb (these meat sources generate a disproportionately high amount of environmental impacts when compared to other meat sources).
Transportation/Carpool Sign-up
Please, to the best extent possible, use public transportation or carpools to travel to the conference venue. This reduces our direct emissions to the environment and also reduces the demand on our energy supply. To reward you for your environmentally friendly choice, we will be providing those that use public transportation or carpools with an additional raffle ticket for the Wednesday evening reception.
We have a carpool sign-up sheet available. Click here to sign up!
Green Choice Program
The Sheraton Universal offers their Green Choice program so that guests may opt out of daily housekeeping services. This reduces the energy and water use each night you make this choice. The hotel will reward you for making this decision by providing you with a $5 voucher to be used onsite and the conference will further reward you with an additional raffle ticket for the Wednesday evening raffle if you make the Green Choice for your entire stay.
Reusable Beverage Containers
In an effort to reduce waste, we will not be providing single serving beverages. Instead we will provide water, juice, tea, and other beverages in pitchers with glass or ceramic drinkware. Bring your own reusable beverage container and not only will you enjoy our beverages on the go, you will be rewarded with an additional raffle ticket for the Wednesday evening raffle.
Waste Generation
To improve our sustainability efforts, we will measure our waste generation as well as its final disposition. We are working with hotel staff to measure all the food and packaging that comes in for our event as well as all of the waste that is generated from our event. We will separate the waste streams into: landfill, recycling, compost/ AD, and donation/reuse. We will have these numbers available at the conclusion of the conference and will use them to strive for a more sustainable conference next time. Volunteer to help with the measurement of our waste generation and diversion and receive an additional raffle ticket for the Wednesday evening raffle.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact:
Robert Carlson
(916) 323-3411
robert.carlson@calrecycle.ca.gov