Post on 17-Feb-2019
Sands ECO360° Quarterly “A Quarterly Insight into LVSC Sustainability Activities”
Highlights of this issue >>>
LVS makes the holidays greener
Newsweek Rankings released
LVS hosts its most sustainable event ever
Biggest stories from 2012
Q4 2012
Las Vegas Sands Leaped Ahead
in Newsweek’s Green Rankings
With a jump of 238 spots from 2011 to 2012, LVS
improved the most out of all companies listed and
now occupies the 128 spot.
The Newsweek Green Rankings grades 500 of the largest
US and Global companies on their environmental
footprint, management of that footprint, and
sustainability communications. The rankings are,
according to GreenBiz, “probably the most-watched
comparison of mainstream company sustainability
performance, both in the U.S., Newsweek’s home turf, and
around the world.” Congratulations to every single Team
Member for your contribution to Sands ECO360o!
MBS Introduced ‘Soap for Hope’
TMs, charities enjoy free bathroom amenities.
MBS now offers free liquid soap, shampoo, conditioner,
and lotions from partially emptied bottles collected from
guest rooms to Team Members (TMs). Amenities are also
donated to Food From The Heart, a local charity that aims
to alleviate hunger through re-channeling non-perishables
to the underprivileged in Singapore.
Big Happenings >>>
Happy (and Sustainable!) Holidays
Across the globe, Las Vegas Sands Team Members ensured that
the holidays were green in more ways than one.
Sands PA organized a poinsettia plant reuse program that sent 815 plants
from the property back to the supplier for reuse. Marketing Coordinator
Diane Walker (left) and Jodi Sieger from Purchasing spearheaded the
program, which saved 2,439 pounds of waste from landfill.
The Housekeeping team at SCC Conrad, Macao (right) crafted a holiday
masterpiece from used boxes. The project was challenging, yet fun, as they
had to rearrange the ‘architecture’ many times before achieving success. .
Singapore Team Members (TMs) built a holiday tree in the ArtScience
Museum lobby made entirely with Legos! Also, more than 7,000 canned
food and clothing items were donated to charity as part of a holiday drive.
In Las Vegas, a 60-foot-tall Christmas tree made with 25,523 LED bulbs was
both stunning and efficient. Nearby, a synthetic ice-skating rink further
demonstrated our sustainability commitment as it did not require water or
energy to be maintained. Holiday cards were also collected to be donated
to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children. Finally, more than 700 Team Members,
friends and family helped Opportunity Village create a world record of “the
most Santas in one location” at 9,669!
Thank you for helping us all enjoy a sustainable 2012 holiday season!
Community >>>
Green Building Dinner Held at MBS October 11 marked the Singapore Green Building Council’s 3rd
anniversary, a milestone celebrated at Marina Bay Sands.
Over 600 attendees, including the Minister of National Development, gathered
to toast the ongoing progress of green building in Singapore and distribute
awards. Kevin Teng, Sustainability Director (left), holds a Plaque of Appreciation
for MBS’ contributions. The event gave the property the opportunity to
showcase their own green building and strengthen industry connections.
Venetian Macao Among 5 Green
Hotels to Share Best Practices
Organized by the Environmental Protection Bureau and
the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), a Macao Green
Hotel Award Achievements Sharing Session was held in
October to deepen the knowledge of 100 higher
education students and teachers in the Award system
and green management in general.
Participants learned that the Green Hotel Award not
only promotes the implementation of green
management practices in hotels, but also is a constant
reminder of the ‘green concept’ to stakeholders to
encourage them to fulfill their responsibility to the
community and environment.
Ask the experts >>>
Sands PA Helped Kids Give Thanks
Volunteers explained the meaning of Thanksgiving and
served dinner to 300 children at Donegan School.
Mandy Martin (Global Sustainability Manager, LVS): What did the volunteers help with?
Pamela Burgio (Buyer, Sands PA): Some of us went into the class rooms and helped the kids decorate their pilgrim hats, read to the kids, and discussed what they were thankful for. Others served lunch to the students. We sat and talked with the children during the feast just as we would at our own Thanksgiving table so that the kids could experience the conversation and camaraderie of the holiday.
MM: What do you think the kids learned?
PB: In the classroom, where I helped out before serving the meal, they were working on a lesson about manners and discussing what their favorite Thanksgiving foods were.
MM: What was your takeaway from this event?
PB: It really opened my eyes to how many children in the nearby area are less fortunate than myself and wouldn’t have been able to celebrate the holiday without this event.
Recycling >>>
In 2012, recycling efforts were not only vastly increased, but were also
dramatically expanded to capture more commodities than ever before.
First, Kent Bagnell and the Horticulture team expanded green waste
recycling. More than 200 yards of waste has been diverted to be turned into
mulch and used as a soil builder. Kent and his team are continuing to expand
the program to include the interior and floral departments.
Facilities also got in on the recycling action; the shops now sort metal, glass,
cardboard, and other recyclables, thanks to James Gonzalves and his team.
Under the leadership of Margaret Walker-Shaw, Housekeeping now collects
and sorts used magazines and newspapers for recycling. Housekeeping has
also begun a suite recycling pilot – a major undertaking with big potential!
In Food & Beverage, plastic, glass, aluminum, and cork are now separated
and recycled from bars, lounges, and pool areas. Thank you Josef Wagner
and Philippa Hayes for your great work in getting these programs going.
In 2012, the Stewarding team, led by Debra Gonzalez, made great strides in
improving recycling – in particular by maintaining a highly-successful food
separation program. As 12 tons of food reach the dock per day, this effort
has had an enormous positive impact on the diversion rate.
These efforts could not have been completed without Rick Walter and the
PAD team, who has undergone many changes in collection practices to make
the upstream sorting smooth and seamless – thank you!
Finally, all departments deserve a big thank you and congratulations on this
milestone as everyone contributed to the success of the recycling program!
V|P Recycling Rate Jumped up 20%!
After a year-long analysis, extensive planning, and complete
overhaul, the recycling program delivered excellent results.
Milestones >>>
IMEX: LVS’ Greenest Event Ever
IMEX ‘Cleaned the World’, achieved highest recycling
rate, expanded sustainable food, and led a real safari.
Attendees Give Back
Not only does V|P donate more soap and amenities to Clean the
World than any other organization on Earth, it is also proactive
in getting others to join in. V|P brought together Clean the
World and IMEX America—a leading worldwide exhibition for
incentive travel, meetings and events held at Sands Expo in
October. Sponsored by LVS, IMEX held its first-ever corporate
social responsibility (CSR) activity. The result? Participants sorted
2,149 pounds of bar soap and bottled amenities, which will
provide soap – and hope – to 1,808 children worldwide.
Featured in the picture above, IMEX attendees also assembled
and hand-delivered 269 hygiene kits to the Las Vegas Shade Tree
women’s shelter. Debi Kinney, western regional director for
Clean the World, summed it up nicely by saying “Where there is
soap, there is hope.”
Recycling Rate Record Broken
Through tireless preparation, the IMEX event saw an 87.4%
recycling rate: the highest in Expo history! Furthermore, the
entire event – including V|P – achieved 72%. These are two
extraordinary milestones that place the Green Meetings
program as a top global contender.
Attendees Munched on Sustainable Food
Clients are increasingly expressing interest in sustainable food,
and IMEX was no exception. What was exceptional is what V|P
chefs achieved: 40% of IMEX’s food was sustainable! Examples
of sustainable food attributes are regional (within 400 miles) and
organic food and sustainable seafood.
Safari Takes Guests to the Depths of the Property
Another first for an event was a “Sustainability Safari”, which
consisted of an interactive contest that ushered guests around
the property to discover green attributes of the building and
operations. Participants enjoyed a kitchen demonstration and
even tried some tasty (and sustainable) treats. Contest winners
were presented with unique prizes to be used on property.
Tour >>>
A grade nine class from a local high school was studying
biodiversity in science class, so the opportunity to tour the
Paradise Garden was an thrilling way to see plants in action.
Students were provided with descriptions the plants in the
garden and were tasked with identifying and photographing
the various plant life. They also got the opportunity to meet
with Grant Shaw of the Landscaping Team to learn about the
logistics of caring for the plants. He discussed how watering,
sunlight, temperature, and fertilizer all contribute to keeping
the plants happy and healthy.
Dan d'Entremont, the teacher who accompanied the students,
explained his excitement about the tour: “My students
brainstormed ideas last year about sustainable models for
Casinos, and a large indoor garden was one of their ideas! We
were very pleased to see the green space inside your resort.“
Eco Tour at Sands Cotai Central
Students from the International School Of Macao
visited SCC to learn about sustainable horticulture.
PA Donates Food, Shelves to Food Bank
A ribbon cutting ceremony marked the opening the food pantry
at the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley in November. Sands
Bethlehem provided volunteers (Susan Stachowski, Executive
Assistant to the President, pictured in red) and generous food
and equipment donations. Volunteers also played a huge role
in building the large metal shelves to store all of the food items.
2012: A Big Year for Sands ECO360o
First Las Vegas Sands Environmental Report >>>
The report, released in July, 2012, summarizes Las Vegas Sands’ environmental achievements and operations to date. A launch event to showcase the gaming industry’s first ever third-party checked environmental report welcomed sustainability experts, company executives, and local and national media. What’s most noteworthy is that the report announced LVS’ commitment to meet established carbon, water, and waste goals through 2015.
Earth Hour & Earth Day Celebrated by Las Vegas Sands Worldwide >>>
Through participation in Earth Hour, the world’s largest public action for the environment, LVS demonstrated that our responsibility to the planet is as important as our commitment to the satisfaction of our guests and Team Members. Earth Day, the biggest environmental day of the year, was celebrated with contests, tours, and demonstrations across the globe on April 22, which motivated Team Members to be green at work and at home.
First Carbon Disclosure Project Response Sees Big Results >>>
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) works to reduce carbon emissions and water use. After months of extensive data collection and analysis, LVSC registered our first CDP response, with 904,812 metric tons of Co2e reported for 2011. CO2e describes how much global warming a given type and amount of greenhouse gas may cause. We achieved the highest verification level in the category, thus are please with the result!
Macao Earns Green Hotel Award >>>
The Venetian Macao received the highest level of achievement in the 2011 edition of the Macao Green Hotel Award, designed to promote the importance of environmental management within the sector. The Venetian Macao is among only three hotels that achieved this award level! We recognize the importance of adopting regional standards to address local environmental concerns, and are proud to celebrate this achievement!
Las Vegas Sands Enjoys a Huge Jump in Newsweek Green Rankings >>>
With a jump of 238 spots from 2011 to 2012, LVS improved the most out of all companies listed and now occupies the 128 spot. The Newsweek Green Rankings grades 500 of the largest US and Global companies on their environmental footprint, management of that footprint, and sustainability communications. Congratulations to every single Team Member for your contribution to Sands ECO360o!
First ‘Green Awards’ Program a Huge Success at The Venetian | Palazzo >>>
The Las Vegas property launched a “Green Awards” program in Facilities for energy saving ideas. In 2012, 34 Team Member ideas were suggested and eleven were implemented that save almost $95,000 annually on energy bills. The most recent winner was Mike Treftz (pictured right, with Kim Grange) who suggested to change the pool deck cabana A/C program to prevent them from running 24/7, saving over $40,000 annually.
Marina Bay Sands Achieves Green Mark Gold Certification >>>
Marina Bay Sands is the largest single building in Singapore to be awarded the prestigious Green Mark Gold for its combination of energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, environmental protection and green innovation. Third party sustainability certifications provide credibility for the green initiatives and programs at our properties and enhance Las Vegas Sands’ reputation as a green industry leader.