Northern California Facility Goes Green
By Rachelle Crum -- Tradeshow Week, 5/30/2005
The San Mateo (Calif.) County Expo Center recently joined the ranks of green convention centers with a new recycling program.
The California Department of Conservation awarded the venue a $67,000 grant in September 2004 to apply toward its $109,800 program, which includes 100 new recycling bins for the center.
The San Francisco Bay area facility's efforts are in accordance with California Assembly Bill 2176, a measure approved in September by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and put into effect in January, mandating that large venues and large events develop and implement waste-reduction plans.
"We're trying to not fill up all of our land with garbage," said Kristine Liggio, event manager for the center. Plus, she added, "A lot of people recycle at home, but they don't recycle when they go somewhere."
Not all California facilities and events are included under AB 2176. For instance, events that do not charge admission are exempt. The bill also provides that the California Integrated Waste Management Board develop a model local government ordinance for venue and event waste reduction.
One million visitors traverse the San Mateo venue's 245,000 square feet of exhibit space each year at 350 events. The center's largest show, the Feb. 3–6 Intl. Sportsmen's Exposition San Mateo, had the recycling bins in place. The Aug. 12–21 San Mateo County Fair, taking up a large percentage of the 47-acre grounds, will also utilize the bins.
"It's extremely important. We want to do our part in conserving the environment," Liggio said. The effort also saves money for the venue. "We don't have to pay to have it removed as garbage. It's just a win-win situation for everyone," she added.
The venue underwent a comprehensive waste audit in March 2004 to qualify for the grant.
Californians recycled at an all-time high in 2004, according to the state Department of Conservation. The state recycled 12 billion aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers, a 1.5 billion-container increase over 2003's 10.5 billion. Two additional prominent California recycling bills, AB 939 and AB 75, were signed in the '80s to promote the reduction of solid waste by 50 percent.
Other green California convention centers include San Francisco's Moscone Center and Del Mar Fairgrounds.
The U.S. Green Building Council, show operators for the annual Greenbuild Intl. Conference & Expo, next taking place Nov. 9–11 at Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Center, annually conducts a case study on how it reduces solid waste generation at each show.
