Georgia World Congress Center honored for stellar zero waste practices

At their Annual Recognition Event hosted in late June, the Atlanta Better Building Challenge (ABBC) celebrated program successes and honored Top Performers and Award Recipients. In addition to the energy and water savings accolades, the Waste Diversion Award was added to the prestigious 2016 program.

GWCC ABBC Award

A veteran in zero waste practices, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) was the first annual Waste Diversion Award recipient. An umbrella state-owned entity, the GWCCA consists of the Georgia World Congress Center - fourth largest convention center in the nation & the world's largest LEED Certified convention center, the Georgia Dome and Centennial Olympic Park. In addition, the GWCCA was awarded the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center management contract in early 2014.

During fiscal year 2016 ending June 30, the GWCCA segregated 247.5 tons of single-stream recyclables, 260.7 tons of food waste for compost, and 30 tons of corrugated cardboard for respective contracted collection. IMPRESSIVE!

The GWCCA official zero waste journey began in February 2009 as host for the acclaimed Zero Waste Zones launch. Led by EPA Region 4 Acting Regional Administrator Stan Meiburg, the press conference yielded 60 million media impressions including the CNN City Aims for Zero Waste story that aired prime time in national & international markets.

SFCI Team during post-game
food waste audit

In spring 2012, the Georgia Dome joined the Atlanta Airport and Simon Mall's Concord Mills in Charlotte as prominent Sustainable Food Court Initiative (SFCI) Pilots. As the SCFI-Event Venue Pilot, the Georgia Dome was the Lead Pioneer in the Elemental Impact (Ei) Source-Separated Material Recycling Template Pilot.

The GWCCA hosted the 2013 NCAA® Men’s Final Four®, the second most popular sporting event across the globe. One of the Atlanta Local Organizing Committee stated goals was to make the 2013 Final Four the "greenest games ever." Under GWCCA Director of Sustainability Tim Trefzer's leadereship, the 2013 Final Four lived up to their proclamation and set the stage for future Final Four sustainability requirements. 

SFCI Co-Chair Doug Kummenann &
Tim at the education session

The ZWA Blog article, Final Four green footprints continue after the games, details the impressive recycling and other sustainable stats. In addition, the formal 2013 Final Four Sustainability Report is available for download on the Ei Reference Materials & Tools page.

At Tim's request, the Ei SMAT - Sustainable Materials ACTION Team - presented a two-hour Compostable Food & Beverage Packaging Education Session for Levy Restaurants in April 2015. In addition to providing GWCCA foodservice, Levy Restaurants operates foodservice at Phillips Arena and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, future home of the Atlanta Falcons. The ZWA Blog article, Compostable F&B Packaging: integral to zero waste programs and soil rebuilding, is an overview of the powerful session.

Although it specified prior year activity, the GWCCA's seasoned materials management platform was at the core of the prestigious ABBC Waste Diversion Award. 

GWCCA Team with Award Presenters
photo courtesy of ABBC

The Georgia Dome is one season away from decommission; the GWCCA goal is to recover, reuse and | or recycle at least 90% of the facility. With their solid sustainability culture, the GWCCA is staged to set new standards in venue deconstruction.

Southeast Green's Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge Recognizes the Year’s Top Performers post is an excellent recap of the ABBC Awards Event, including the below quote from Stephanie Stuckey Benfield, Director, City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Sustainability:

“Our Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge participants have truly stepped up and gone beyond the whole nine yards in gaining forward progress toward our goals in energy and water conservation. Because of them, Atlanta has become the efficiency leader that our nation looks to as the example to follow. Mayor Kasim Reed and I are proud of all the voluntary work done by our participants, especially our top performers. Through cutting waste, we are not only able to save energy, water and money, but we’re able to make our hometown more resilient, sustainable and with a higher quality of life for all.”

Atlanta is a rock star in many sustainability arenas. It is important organizations like the ABBC recognize the industry heroes as well as broadcast Atlanta's impressive sustainability successes to the nation and beyond.

Congratulations to the GWCCA and other ABBC Top Performers!