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2010 Outstanding Achievement by a Hotel

Marriott Washington at Metro Center

Marriott Washington at Metro Center has fully committed to Marriott's corporate "Spirit to Serve, Spirit to Preserve" & ECHO (Environmentally Conscious Hospitality Operations) programs. Marriott's "Spirit to Serve" philosophy extends beyond people to serve critical issues facing the environment. An example of this would include the corporation's commitment to protect 1.4 million acres of Amazon rainforest. Marriott's "Spirit to Preserve" program encompasses everything from trash removal and recycling to conserving energy and water. This location participates in Marriott International's designation of April as "Environmental Awareness Month." They also raise awareness of environmental issues and increase associate participation in environmental activities.

Marriott Washington at Metro Center has fully embraced "Green Meetings" in which they implement linen-less tables for meetings, have a standard for delivering water service in pitchers or self contained coolers to reduce plastic waste, use recycled materials from note pads to pens and have a variety of paperless options including online menus, proposals and bills. They have placed centralized recycling containers throughout their banquet and public spaces as well as in their internal office space. They feel that their contributions are a great step in the right direction, but that their excitement is the foundation for their future potential as they continue to embrace and implement their "Spirit to Preserve" program.

Featured Accomplishments

  • Saved 745,685 kWh in electricity in 2009 from previous year with the implementation of energy efficient lighting with programmable and dimmable automation as well as utilization of the Energy Management System controlling the heating/cooling and lighting of our banquet space.
  • Recently converted all restroom urinals to water-free, thus saving an estimated 600,000 gallons of water a year
  • Fire & Sage Restaurant is a member of the Green Restaurant Association
  • Fire & Sage Restaurant installed a recycled wood floor & linen-less dining tables
  • Replaced light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs
  • Installed low-flow showerheads and toilets
  • Introduced water/energy saving linen program to include both bedding and towels
  • Guestroom keys made from 50% recycled materials Corporate newspaper program offering guest option to choose one paper or decline

Green Meetings

  • 100% meeting space is on an Energy Management System, ensuring lights and temperature are minimized during vacancy
  • New Junior Ballroom (3,000 sq ft) equipped with 100% linen-less tables for meeting sets, over 50% of our total meeting space can be set with linen-less tables Eco-Friendly Water Service to reduce plastic use
  • Organic meeting room candy, menu & floral options
  • Note Pads made from 100% recycled materials, pens made from 75% recycled materials, recyclable box lunch program, earth wise recycled cocktail napkins, Starbucks cups made from post consumer recycled paper
  • Online event menus, e-folios, e-proposals and paperless billing

Recycling

  • Central recycling for guest participation - meeting space, lobby and guest floors
  • Office recycling throughout - paper/glass/plastic
  • Convention services meeting room recycling
  • Fire & Sage restaurant recycles glass bottles
  • Kitchen oil recycled into Biodiesel
  • Recycle used fluorescent bulbs, batteries, lighting ballasts, metals, computer components & used refrigerants
  • Cardboard recycling compactor
  • Recycle damaged linen to be reused as cleaning rags

Chemical Reduction/ Earth Friendly Solutions

  • Saline water in both pool and whirlpool
  • Purchase from Eco-friendly vendors
  • Use environmentally friendly cleaning products
  • Use bulk chemicals that are dispensed into reusable spray, not aerosol, bottles

Energy & Water Conservation

  • Energy Management System controls lighting in public space on timer, reducing usage by day part and takes advantage of natural light
  • Energy & Water saving linen program to include bedding and towels
  • Maximize use of free cooling capacity through use of outside air and plate exchanger
  • Waterless urinal devices in men's restroom saving over 600,000 gallons of water a year
  • Energy star rated guest floor vending machines & guest laundry washer and dryer
  • Storage areas and select offices on energy saving switches
  • Use of photo cell and timers for exterior lighting
  • Automatic faucets and flush valves in public restrooms
  • Variable frequency drives installed in 50% of air handling units, remaining 50% completed in 2010
  • Guestroom windows secured to reduce loss of conditioned internal air

Outlook for 2010

  • Eliminating 100% of the paper hand towels in all restrooms within the hotel by installing efficient hand dryers
  • Completing the conversion to conclude the installation of VFD (Variable Frequency Drives) in all remaining HVAC units
  • Adding additional linen-less banquet tables to our inventory to further promote green meetings throughout all banquet space
  • Conduct feasibility evaluation of participating 100% in food composting by end of year