Going Green

The WateReuse Association is working actively with our local committee and the Sheraton Seattle Hotel to make sure the 24th Annual WateReuse Symposium is environmentally responsible.

The 24th Annual WateReuse Symposium Eco-Friendly Practices:

Conservation efforts to recycle materials used during the conference:

Recycling Bins will be placed throughout the conference to separate out paper and cans/bottles.
A Name Badge Recycling box will be located at the registration desk to collect paper name badges and plastic badge holders for recycling.
All PowerPoints will be posted on our website ahead of time

Conversation efforts to reuse:

The registration brochure, on-site program book, name badges, registration envelopes, notepads and flyers will be printed on recycled paper.
Conference bags, lanyards and pens will be made of eco-friendly friendly materials to be used again and again.

Efforts to offset our carbon footprint:

Encourage our attendees to offset their carbon footprint through http://www.carbonfund.org/

The Sheraton Seattle Hotel's Green Practices:

Recycling and Composting
The Sheraton Seattle was one of the first hotels to introduce a voluntary recycling program back in 1993. Each department contains designated receptacles to collect recycled goods. Examples of recycled materials include: paper, plastic, cardboard, glass, aluminum, fluorescent light bulbs, toner cartridge, oil, batteries and pallets. The entire Sheraton family is involved in composting as well. Composting bins are located in our employee cafeteria, culinary, banquet and room service departments, and in the Daily Grill restaurant.

Associates Promoting and Practicing Green Efforts
Sheraton Seattle's "Green Team" is a cross-departmental group that promotes and advocates new green practices in the hotel. The team has posted signage throughout the hotel that includes visual images to educate associates on how to be "green" at work and at home. The "Green Team" has transformed the employee cafeteria into a green area as well. The cafeteria no longer distributes individually packaged items or disposable service ware. Compost bins are utilized for leftover food and used napkins. The Sheraton Seattle family actively supports and contributes to Green service events in the community such as The Sweep, a cleanup of Lake Union and the waterways.

Giving Guests the Option to Go Green: "Help the Earth - You Tidy, We Treat" Program
Like many hotels, each Sheraton guest room has an opt-in linen and towel replacement program that reduces the amount of chlorine, detergents, and water used in the cleaning process. But Sheraton guests are also presented with an additional option: They may choose to decline housekeeping service - and the cleaning chemicals and energy involved in the process - by hanging a "You Tidy, We Treat" card on the outside of their guest room door before 2am. In return for going green, guests receive a $5.00 gift card or 500 SPG points for each day they participate. The gift card can be used for In-Room-Dining, at the In Short Order coffee bar, the Daily Grill Restaurant or the Lobby Lounge Bar.

Turning Out the Lights!
The entire hotel is outfitted with compact florescent bulbs. In addition, the meeting rooms feature motion censored lights. With over 75,000 square feet of meeting space, this results in significant energy savings. Energy is conserved in guest rooms through daily light and air conditioning inspections. Employee offices are kept dark overnight, and security lights are on timers. The hotel also features a Building Automation System that allows for a more energy efficient operation of the hotel's HVAC system.

Conserving Water and Setting the Standard in Energy Efficiency
In order to limit water use, the Sheraton Seattle uses 1.5gpm sink faucet aerators and 2.5gpm shower heads in our guestrooms. Highly efficient low flow toilets (1.6 gallons per flush) are used in all guest rooms adding to the water savings.

To save 480,000 watts of electricity, the hotel has replaced a standard electric water heater with an instantaneous steam-to-water heat exchanger. This highly efficient "MAC" system results in a significantly reduced carbon footprint.