Orlando Center Test Program Saves Trees
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 7/26/2004
The Orange County Convention Center in Orlando has recycled 2,100 tons of material, saving the equivalent of more than 35,000 trees and 150,000 yards of landfill space, since initiating a recycling program early this year. And that's not all it's done to improve its relationship with the environment.
According to Brenda Brown, risk management supervisor with the OCCC, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency selected the facility and seven other government agencies to take part in a 24-month test program. While Florida Recycling Services, a subcontractor, hauls away most waste, OCCC staff sorts all of the cardboard thrown away at the center, with over 100 tons collected so far this year.
In addition, in 1999 the OCCC purchased 1,000 acres of nearby wetlands and flood-plains for preservation. It relocated 15 environmentally protected tortoises that were affected by its recent expansion.
Finally, partnerships have been created with several environmental agencies and advocacy groups, including the Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, and the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission.
