Project Green Team

Food & Beverage
• Cooking oil recovery and recycling saving F&B approx. $180,000/yr. (Savings of $13,000 -$15,000/mo.)
• Food recycling (leftover food given to pig farm) and recovery of hotel property ‘unintended throwaways’ using COMBS Bros. approx. annual savings $156K (Savings of $10,000 -$12,000/mo.)
• COMBS Bros. sorts and recycles plastic, glass, cardboard and aluminum (reduces dumpster pulls around $3,000/mo.)
• 20 reverse osmosis water stations installed. This will eliminate use of bottled water. Styrofoam has been removed from some areas and several departments have stopped using Styrofoam and instead use reusable water and coffee cups. Reusable water bottle distribution to approximately 700 employees.

Mail Services
• In the first month of adding recycle bins 3,129 lbs. of recycled paper was gathered. Opportunity Village reduced our paper shredding price per lb. from $.095 to $.04 per lb. because we added non-shred paper recycle bins.
• PAPER - As of December 2008 – 34 recycle paper bins are in 22 locations, 42 shred bins in 34 locations.
• Opportunity Village - Projecting triple the volume of 243,114 lbs. in 2008 by adding non-shredded paper, thus saving 2067 trees by recycling paper.
• .Provided recycle bins to 2 conventions upon request.
• Placed PGT logo on all bins.
• Currently recycling in house material distribution and convention material distribution. Recycled all guest room phone books for the 1st time.
• Toner cartridges recycled.
• Package management and record retention maintenance system is paperless. Receipt, delivery and storage is all performed with wireless palm pilots, signature capture and downloading information directly to PC.
• Mail Services reuses packing and shipping materials, office supplies and record storage boxes, powers off all computers and equipment at closing.

Purchasing
• Installed Energy Star Canon copiers property wide. Scanning, emailing, making 2 sided copies, and faxing from these machines saved paper and mailing costs.
• 34% decrease in paper usage for a six month period, property wide.
• 69% decrease in toner cartridges ordered for a six month period, property wide.

I.T.
• Educating departments to utilize their department share drive to pass on information instead of printing.
• Provides storage environment for scanning and emailing instead of printing.

I.T./Payroll
• New time and attendance system installed which reduces printing of some reports.

Hotel
• Signature Capture (electronic paperless check-in/check-out) at the front desk.
• Lights are being turned off in rooms not utilized, such as convention area, theater, guest rooms, storage areas, etc.

Housekeeping
• Hand sanitizers have been placed throughout the property and hand blowers are an option in restrooms instead of paper towels.
• Towel and linen re-use placards in each room (NEW CARDS are now used for each room, a program called the “Opt Out” where a guest may decline housekeeping services, allowing less water and energy consumption and guests are rewarded with a $5 voucher ($10 during summer) to use in select outlets.)
• New hepa bags used in vacuums
• Eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products for septic and drain are being used with new products being introduced continually.

EVS
• ‘TNT Mold Guard’ (totally non-toxic) used by Environmental Services.
Facilities
• Tower renovations complete. Light change out complete in all towers. Fluorescent lights use 50% less energy. Outdoor cold cathodes in place.
• Faucet aerators, low flow toilets, and oxygenic shower heads installed to conserve on water consumption in guest rooms.
• Xeriscaped property grounds for water/cost conservation. Rebate around $150,000.
• LVH reduced electricity usage in first 9 mos. of 2008 by 11.4% from the prior year. Nevada Power awarded LVH a $65,000 rebate for installing cost effective measures on cooling towers, chillers and boilers and light reduction program.
• LED lighting is now in Tempo Lounge, Shimmer Cabaret and office areas with more and more areas being transitioned to LED lighting as the year progresses.

Retail
• Merchandise made locally from organic, natural and recycled materials is highlighted and expanded in retail. Some examples of the many eco-friendly and vegan-friendly items we permanently carry are: purses made from recycled rice bags, seatbelts, plastic bottles and coffee bean bags. Trays/ placemats made from recycled paper, journals, jewelry and table top accessories made from recycled items such as computer keyboards, cassette tapes, soda cans, rice saks and more. Staple free staplers, vegan cookbooks, books focusing on the eco-movement such as “Gorgeously Green”, vegan food items such as candy bars and cookies, Locally made and 100% natural skin care line exclusive to LVH. Vegan lip balms, organic locally made teas and T-shirts made from Bamboo and/or recycled materials created for LVH.

Restaurants
• Benihana is using non-toxic grease cutter.
• The Buffet posts a sign; ‘water provided upon request’.
• Vegan items available upon request
• Soymilk available upon request

Marketing
• PGT logo created to place on business cards of PGT members.
Spa
• Installation of new software eliminates 4 different paper types: 1 being 2-part and approx. 9,000 sheets a year.

Human Resources
• Weekly and quarterly newsletter, Club Ride employee incentives to carpool, ride bike or take the bus to and from work.
• Department does not use Styrofoam, but reuses own cups/mugs.

Security
• Toyota Hylander hybrid vehicle leased for usage in place of Dodge Caravan for gas savings, less environmental impact.