AZA is committed to using as many environmentally responsible practices as possible and feasible for the 2011 AZA Annual Conference.  The below measures are in place and AZA is committed to carrying out these practices and encouraging all participants and attendees of the conference to do the same.

Conference Promotional Materials
• AZA prints all promotional materials on Forest Stewardship Council certified, recycled, double-sided paper, printed with vegetable oil-based inks when available.
• In all promotional pre-conference materials, AZA strongly encourages attendees to register online, rather than mailing a hardcopy registration form.  AZA also offers an incentive to attendees to register online.

Conference Registration Materials
• All registration confirmation materials and badge previews will be emailed to attendees.  Emailing a badge preview prevents the printing of multiple, incorrect badges.
• Recycling receptacles for attendee registration badges will be located at the registration desk and at Zoo Day and Twilight Safari Party to collect unwanted badge holders for re-use at other AZA Meetings.
• All conference delegate bags are made from raw cotton canvas or other eco-friendly material, untreated, unbleached, and recyclable.  Attendees are encouraged to reuse delegate bags whenever possible.

Conference Program Materials
• AZA will be printing a program guide and addendum on Forest Stewardship Council certified, recycled, double-sided paper, printed with vegetable oil-based inks.  Attendees are encouraged to only take one copy and dispose of in the recycle bins located throughout the convention center.   A digital version of the program guide will be made available from the AZA website and will be emailed to attendees during the conference.
• All directional and room signage is reused by AZA from one event to another, whenever possible.
• If applicable, AZA will encourage all speakers to provide their handouts or presentations to be posted on the AZA website after the conference for Member access.

Zoo Atlanta
The Green Team at Zoo Atlanta is a group of staff members and volunteers that meets monthly to monitor the Zoo's environmental efforts and maintain a sustainable workplace.  Zoo Atlanta incorporates environmental considerations into everyday business management.

Measurable actions that are encouraged and supported include:
• Striving to achieve compliance with legal and self-imposed regulatory requirements
• Reducing our environmental impact by focusing on pollution prevention, waste reduction and resource conservation
• Continually improving the local and global environment
• Modeling environmental stewardship behavior
• Communicating information with our community about our environmental programs and performance

Last year Zoo Atlanta recycled:
• 29,017 pounds of paper and cardboard
• 21,137 pounds of scrap metal
• 16,264 pounds of plastic
• 5,380 pounds of electronics
• 1,343 cell phones
• 358 pounds of aluminum
• 284 pounds of batteries
• 180 printer cartridges
• 97 fluorescent bulbs

The Zoo Atlanta Green Team’s elephant manure and bamboo composting program won first place in the 2008 Keep Georgia Beautiful Awards for Waste Reduction and Recycling. By working with Natural Growth, Inc. for composting elephant manure and Downey Trees for shredding bamboo waste to be burned as fuel by Georgia Power, we’re diverting over 1,800 cubic yards of waste from the landfill every year.

Georgia Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium opened its doors in November 2005. Through initial construction and in the additions, improvements and operations since opening, the Aquarium has operated with the recognition that green practices are not only beneficial to the environment, but can also benefit the bottom line.  In the areas of energy use, water management and construction, the Aquarium has excelled with award winning and industry recognized improvements.

Energy
• Lighting fixture selection and modifications have resulted in a more than 20% savings of energy for lighting. Modifications include using 41K bulbs to reduce the wattage and increase the color temperature, installing motion detectors to turn off lights when not in use, and replacing metal halide fixtures with fluorescent fixtures allowing the spaces to be lit only when occupied. 
Water Management
• In all guest areas, traditional urinals have been replaced with Kohler waterless urinals reducing wastewater discharge and water consumption by more than 2.6 million gallons per year.
• Low flow aerators on sinks has reduced the water flow from 2.2 gallons to 1 gallon per minute. This is coupled with sensor activated faucets to reduce overall consumption.
• Through a strategy focused on both science and life support design, Georgia Aquarium has created a model for exhibit water efficiency where we are able to recycle water without risk of exhibit contamination.  The resulting changes reduced the Aquarium’s total exhibit water use by 30% in first year. In the subsequent year these changes have resulted in a total building wide exhibit water use of less than <0.1% of our total exhibit water volume (10M gallons) per week, a total of less than 10,000 gallons.
• The Georgia Aquarium also implemented a condensation recovery system to recover water used to operate the air-conditioning system. The recovery system has allowed the Aquarium to save more than 1.8 million gallons of water per year.
Waste Management
• Recycle all used batteries, phones, light bulbs, electronics, uniforms, paper and equipment through a variety of local organizations and service companies.
• During construction, all unused construction materials were donated back to our community through the local Habitat for Humanity Re-store.
• In our catering operation we prefer reusable plates, silverware and containers to disposables and use these at more than 75% of our events. If a function requires disposables we purchase recycled and bio-degradable items. 
• We are currently in the process of implementing a composting plan for the remnants of food left by our guests and our catering operations, as well as discards and scraps left from animal commissary food preparation.
• All of our trash is processed by a facility that further separates and recycles waste once it leaves the Aquarium. Last year our total waste hauling was approximately 763 tons, 13.57% was recycled after removal.
Combustion Engine Fuels
• Each month Georgia Aquarium has more than 3,000 gallons of cooking oil collected and recycled into usable bio-diesel.
• In addition, we have switched from using Sprinter vans for all staff driving needs to using small fuel efficient KIA compacts and vans for transportation of staff and small items.
Awareness
• Promote awareness of ocean stewardship through our Seafood Savvy program, which is promoted by docents in the galleries, through our onsite café and catering, through newsletters, on the Aquarium’s website and at lectures, fundraising events, restaurant partners, partner-restaurant events and cooking classes.
• Had our used salt bags and vinyl banners made into new grocery totes by a local vendor.
• Use membership cards that can be reactivated instead of replaced each year upon renewal. In our largest gallery, we have moved to reusable animal ID cards to replace thousands of printed hand-outs reducing both cost and waste.

Exhibit Hall
• All conference exhibitors and participants are strongly encouraged to use sustainable products for any promotional giveaway items.
• Exhibitors will be offered the opportunity to identify how they are choosing to incorporate green practices into their presence at the conference.  Participants will be recognized with signange and recognition in the program guide.
• AZA will encourage exhibitors to participate in Lead Retrieval.  Attendees will have a bar code on their registration badges, allowing exhibitors to scan their badge to acquire contact information.  This will cut down on the number of business cards being distributed.
• Box lunch in the Exhibit Hall will be offered in recyclable containers or a reusable lunch bag.
• All carpet, table clothes and signage in the Exhibit Hall will be recycled or reused as much as possible.
• Low lighting and air conditioning levels will be practiced during Exhibit Hall set up and tear down, and a schedule of conservative lighting use during non-event hours will be established.
• Attendees are provided or encouraged to bring reusable water bottles.

Headquarters Hotel 

Omni Hotels have developed a responsible plan of simple and practical actions to help sustain resources.  Here are some of the initiatives in effect to reduce the hotel’s environmental impact:
 
• Printing on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified or recycled paper whenever possible
• Being a “styrofoam-free” environment
• Providing recycling bins for daily newspapers and for other paper goods for customers
• Recycling plastic, glass and paper whenever available
• Offering leftover and excess food items to local food banks and shelters
• Reducing the use of paper within our organization
• Considering local food purveyors when feasible to reduce the carbon footprint of the culinary options we offer – a “farm to table” approach
• Exploring the use of hybrid vehicles for all new purchases
• Utilizing more energy efficient laundry processes
• Converting to more energy efficient lighting options in targeted ways where the guest experience will not be diminished
• Reminding associates to turn off unused lights and reduce HVAC usage
• Installing energy efficient systems in all new buildings and property updates
• Utilizing more ecologically-friendly laundry processes
• Creating natural herb gardens with native plants and green roofs
• Working with vendors and partners to reduce our carbon footprint for procurement activities
• Offering filtered water in pitchers for meetings; serving water only on request in restaurants and bars

Convention Center

The Georgia World Congress Center is committed to sustainability and works closely with customers to meet their specific green needs. The following are the convention center's green practices and initiatives.

Waste Minimization
• In 2010, the Georgia World Congress Center diverted 560 tons of waste from the landfill: 76.5 tons of commingled recycling (paper, plastic, glass and aluminum), 395.76 tons of composted food, 74.68 tons of recycled corrugated board and 13.2 tons of recycled wood pallets.
• Over 91,400 lbs of paper, glass, plastic and aluminum were recycled in 2009.
• Over 2,380 pallets have been recycled since December 2009.
• Cardboard is baled and recycled. In 2009, 48 bales were recycled, which equals 60,000 lbs.
• Food waste from the kitchens is composted. In 2009, over 274,700 lbs of food were composted.
• Each of the 106 meeting rooms at the Georgia World Congress Center now has a spring water cooler. This greatly reduces the amount of plastic bottles consumed on site, therefore minimizing waste.
• Left-over food is donated to local food banks and charitable organizations. Over 30,000 lbs of food is donated annually.
• Tools and supplies left over from events are donated to local food bank and Habitat for Humanity.
• Juice, tea and coffee are served in pitchers, and china service is available for any event.
• Cooking oil is recycled. Since November 2009, over 12,000 lbs or oil have been recycled.
• Decommissioned furniture and equipment are sold via Govdeals.com rather than hauled to the landfill.

Energy Efficiency
• Electricity consumption was reduced by 5.5 kWh from July 2009-March 2010, which is more than one normal month's worth of electricity.
• Portions of the facility are closed off when not in use, by turning off escalators and lights.
• Building C's energy efficient plant (chillers and boilers) is used to cool & heat Buildings A, B & C. New towers in Building A are energy efficient.
• Temperature is monitored at higher set points, in order to reduce energy consumption.
• Florescent and metal halide lighting are used for longer life and efficient energy consumption.
• Renovations in Building A & B include energy efficient ceiling tiles, safety glass and lighting. Building A's new escalators are energy efficient.

Water Conservation
• $163,000 worth of water was saved from July 2009-February 2010.
• Water aerators have been installed on sinks and low flow devices on the toilets and urinals to reduce water consumption.
• Timed water faucets have been installed on sinks.
• Water pumped from two wells located on campus is used for irrigation and ornamental water features.

Best Green Internal Practices
• Registered with the U.S. Green Building Council to work towards LEED certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance
• Green cleaning chemicals are used throughout the building.
• Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) adhesives are used.
• Low VOC paints are used.
• The veneer on the meeting room doors and surrounding the Georgia Ballroom was cut from a managed forest.
• Linoleum is used in service corridors and auditoriums.
• Ceiling tiles in the meeting rooms are sustainable to the environment.
• The Green Team meets once a month and green messaging is conveyed to employees.
• Recycled paper is used in offices.
• Campus maps and collateral are printed on recycled paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
• Bike racks & proximity to MARTA promote green friendly ways to get to work as well as internal promotion of the Clean Air Campaign. The GWCC was one of the top 10 companies in the region with the highest employee participation rate in the 2010 Give Your Car the Day Off event, organized by the Clean Air Campaign.
• State-of-the-art controls system is used for lighting, HVAC, fire protection and security.
• The West Plaza and International Plaza incorporate a green space over a parking deck.