GWCCA Walks Their Talk

Back in the summer of 2008, Atlanta lost a convention to Orlando because the client perceived Orlando as a "greener" city.  


Wow ~ that single event propelled Atlanta into action and the Zero Waste Zone program was born.  As Atlanta's foundation for major conferences, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) was one of the first downtown Atlanta properties to say YES to ZWZ.  Each of their properties, Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Dome and Centennial Park pledged to meet ZWZ Criteria.


Yesterday GWCCA took their sustainability commitment to another dimension by hiring Tim Trefzer as the first sustainability coordinator of their facilities.  With his stellar background at Sustainable Options, Tim has the experience necessary to assess the current scenario and create an effective action plan destine for solid results.  Here is some copy from the press release:


In this position, Trefzer will coordinate a unified sustainability strategy for the GWCCA campus, addressing energy and water conservation, recycling, promoting public transportation and staff and customer education.


As sustainability coordinator, Trefzer will develop and implement plans for reaching sustainability goals and objectives for the campus. Additionally, he will work with customers to help them green their events and will also provide recycling assistance to exhibitors and attendees. His background will also enable the GWCCA to provide sustainability education to its staff and to work towards LEED certification of the GWCC.


And check out the ZWZ metrics included in the release:
In FY 2010, the GWCC recycled 54 tons of single-stream waste, including plastic, paper, aluminum and glass, baled and recycled 49 tons of corrugated board, composted 290 tons of food waste, recycled six tons of cooking oil, recycled 1,500 pallets and reduced electrical consumption by 5.7 million kWh. 


With green practices an integral component to convention location decisions, the GWCCA has stepped to the plate to ensure Atlanta walks the talk when it comes to sustainability.  Hiring Tim Trefzer is not only a win for the GWCCA, it is a WIN for Atlanta as the entire city benefits from strong convention business.


Stay tuned for more reports from the journey as GWCCA shares stats and accomplishments throughout the year.