Yesterday, we continued to embrace Earth Day with open arms, talking about how sustainability in the hospitality and events industry is not just a trend, but rather a socially-responsible business model taking shape across the U.S. If you’ve yet to read the post, check it out here! We talk Bears, Beets, and Battlestar Galactica…ok not quite, but just as cool, there’s mention of birds, bats, and Bill de Blasio. The series started in NYC, but now let’s migrate west to Chicago.
Chicago is no stranger to sustainability. With the most Green Seal certified hotels in the nation,1 Windy City hotels are working hard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Chicago Climate Action Plan (CCAP) revealed 71 percent of emissions were coming from buildings (and my whole life I thought cars and hairspray were the culprits), so the city created a task force to reduce these levels 80 percent by 20502. “With its 24 hour operations, the hotel industry has a large environmental impact, and Chicago’s hotel industry has proved its environmental leadership,” says the CCAP.
Chicago has a number of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and Green Seal certified hotels which appear regularly in event hotel programs: Aloft Chicago City Center, Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza, and Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, to name a few.
Hotel Felix, compromising neither luxury nor comfort, became the first Chicago accommodations recognized with LEED Silver certification, and practiced “structural preservation during development to avoid landfill,”3 installed energy efficient lighting, and sustainable art. “The hotel employs natural heating sources…reclaimed building materials and artwork and earth friendly cleaning supplies.”4
With a cheeky sense of humor, Hotel Felix commissioned an artist for Earth Day to construct a seven-foot-tall sculpture of completely found and recycled materials. “Loren the Doorman”—
crafted 
from recycled pipes, an umbrella stand, drill bit, and milk-bucket head—then received two additional sculptures “to keep [him] company,” “Madeline” and “Scrappy” the metal dog.5
Swissôtel Chicago uses a different approach to making guests feel happy. The hotel takes the linen card program to the next level, rewarding guests who opt out of housekeeping during a 2-or-more-night stay with a $10 food & beverage credit for each day housekeeping is declined.6
It may not be glorious, but getting green also means getting down and dirty. Waste reduction certainly includes familiar efforts like a recycling program, serving water in pitchers or spring water coolers, and eliminating the use of plastic straws.
But let’s talk excess food. “By donating edible surplus food, you can help support the local community, preserve the resources that went into making the food, and reduce the amount of edible food sent to compost, landfill, or other end of life solutions.”7 The World Wildlife Fund has great tips on finding a food rescue and recovery organization and creating a donation program.
In addition to ensuring food recovery partners can accept hotels’ commonly overproduced food items, WWF advises hotel staff to establish regular pick-up schedules, safe food-handling practices, obtain appropriate documentation for tax incentives, and benchmark program success. Did you know President Clinton signed the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act into law in 1996, protecting donors from liability? The act is meant to encourage companies to donate food that would otherwise go to waste.
Guests aren’t the only ones taking notice. SAVOR…Chicago, the exclusive food and beverage provider at McCormick Place, commits to corporate social responsibility in the convention center industry. SAVOR…Chicago was recognized four times by the EPA for its sustainability solutions and received the Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award for 2014. As well as providing locally sourced menu choices, the organization has established food recovery partners in the community, donating over 37 tons of food to local charities since beginning its work at McCormick Place.8
The USDA actually invited McCormick Place to present at USDA Market Summit – Tomorrow’s Table, “to better understand the resources needed for the next generation in agriculture…and the best practices that innovative players are using.”9 Kevin Jezewski, Sustainability Director for SAVOR…Chicago, presented the need for “local purchasing and urban agriculture,” illustrating how McCormick Place, the largest exhibition and meeting facility in North America, has fully embraced such practices and allowed sustainable solutions to come to fruition.
“The amazing community work supported by venues is so inspiring,” says Amanda Simons, program manager at a sustainability consulting firm, Greenview. Greenview’s 2016 Green Venue Report revealed that of surveyed venues, “Seventy-seven percent of centers help event organizers donate leftover conference materials, and almost 60 percent of centers regularly donate food from events to local charities in need.”10
These continued efforts from our event and hospitality partners truly embody the heart of corporate social responsibility. Join us for our next post, which will wrap up this sustainability min-series. We’ll fly even farther west and take on water conservation in an arid region and how small steps make a big impact.
Helpful Links:
1 Michaels, Stephanie. “Chicago—The City with the Most Green Seal Certified Hotels in the U.S.” The Huffington Post, last modified May 25, 2011.
2 “Chicago Climate Action Plan” City of Chicago, last modified 2010.
3 “5 Best Green Hotels in America” Huffington Post, last modified Dec. 6, 2017.
4 “13 Eco Friendly Hotel Blending Luxury & Sustainability” The Good Trade, last modified 2017.
5 “About Hotel Felix: Learn How Our Chicago Hotel Aims to Make You Happy” Hotel Felix, last modified 2018.
6 “Green Program” Swissôtel Chicago, last modified 2018.
7 “Hotel Kitchen – Donation: The Second Line of Defense” World Wildlife Fund, last modified 2018.
8 “Sustainable Management of Food” Environmental Protection Agency, last modified Feb. 19, 2017.
9 Marquisos, Mary Kay. “McCormick Place Sustainability Efforts Presented at White House Symposium” Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, Feb. 22, 2016.
10 Durso, Christopher. “The State of the Art in Sustainable Venues” PCMA Convene, Nov. 20, 2016.
