Hotel at Turf Valley, The
2700 Turf Valley Rd Ellicott City, MD 21042 Central Maryland 410-465-1500 www.turfvalley.com Management and Leadership We use the following best management practices: Environment Policy Statement Environmental Team: Our team meets once a month and includes a manager from different departments (Food and Beverage, Maintenance, Accounting, Sales, Marketing, Grounds, Spa). Our mission is to systematically decrease our environmental impact, promote participation from employees and guests, become a leader in the industry for environmental practices while reducing operating expenses. Set Annual Goals: We are monitoring the amount of solid waste we create. Our goal is to reduce solid waste by 30% as compared to 2009. We plan to accomplish this with the addition of mixed recyclable dumpsters and public space recycle containers in key areas, composting organics, and the addition of "recycle only" trash cans to each guest room. We have a purchasing policy to encourage the purchase of environmentally-friendly products and services List of our environmentally friendly products and services: Recent conversion of 75% of hotel rooms to new water-saving shower heads. Recent purchase of public space recycle containers. Offer guests a linen and towel re-use option. Room service tray liners converted to a product made from recycled material. Purchase of dyson air-blade hand dryers for four sets of public rest room eliminating paper towels. Started composting program. Waste Reduction We use the following best management practices: Have a plan in place to reduce property waste Track overall waste bills and established baseline data for quantity of wastes produced Set a numeric goal of overall waste reduction Guest Rooms Instruct housekeeping to save and reuse unopened items Kitchen and Prep / Dining / Catering / Meetings and Events / Campground Snack Bar Compost food waste and other compostables Use effective food inventory control to minimize waste Purchase locally grown produce and other foods Purchase organic foods Purchase sustainably grown foods Do not use polystyrene coffee cups If disposable containers are used, they are made from - bio-based materials, recycled content, and/or compostable material Use reusable dishware and glassware and minimize use of disposables Use non-bleached napkins and coffee filters Provide condiments - (cream and sugar, etc.) in bulk Use water pitchers and filtered water to minimize the use of single-use bottles Provide organic, local or sustainable food choices Use screen-based ordering systems Restrooms Use bulk soap dispensers in public restrooms Use high-efficiency hand-dryers Purchase recycled-content paper towels and toilet paper Registration / Office Use electronic correspondence and forms Purchase from vendors and service providers with a commitment to the environment Encourage suppliers to minimize packaging and other waste materials Make 2-sided copies / printed materials and avoid making extra copies Remove facility and staff names from junk mail lists when possible Reuse scrap paper for notes Buildings and Grounds Purchase durable equipment and furniture Purchase low-VOC carpets and fabrics Install carpet with sustainable or recycled content Use low VOC adhesives Use latex paints that are low or no-VOC Perform preventative maintenance on all appliances, HVAC systems, plumbing and vehicles Use less toxic materials Use integrated pest management - IPM Minimize the use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers in landscaping Train staff effectively to use agrochemicals correctly and in proper applications Use a nutrient management plan that minimizes the use of fertilizers Recycling We added mixed recyclable containers to the hotel lobby, Conference Center lobby and banquet entrance area. We also have mobile recycle receptacles that can be moved into meeting rooms. We have added "Mixed Recyclable" containers to each guest room. We are composting organics coming from the F&B outlets. We have clearly marked recycling bins or provide convenient drop off locations We are recycling: Aluminium Cans Batteries Cardboard Electronics equipment Food Composting Glass Fluorescent Lamps Newspaper Office Paper Packing Supplies Plastic Printer and copy machine toner cartridges Steel Cans Water Conservation Have a plan in place to reduce property water usage Track water bills and established baseline data on water usage and wastewater generation Perform preventative maintenance to stop drips and leaks Use or installed the following devices: low flow restrictors on faucets and showerheads aerators on faucets (0.5 gpm or less for lavatory and 2.2 gpm or less for kitchen faucets) low flow toilets (1.6 gpf or less) high efficiency Energy-Star rated dishwashers Have an effective landscape management plan which utilizes: native species drought tolerant species metering rain gauges minimizes lawn areas landscaping using BayScapes techniques Have an effective storm water plan management including: Pervious pavement, and/or minimization of impervious areas like paving, concrete, etc Use drip line irrigation Maintain vegetative buffers around streams and ponds Collecting wash-down water and using for irrigation Collection of storm water runoff for irrigational use	Energy Efficiency We use the following best management practices: Have a plan in place to reduce property energy usage Track overall energy bills and establish baseline energy usage Have an energy management system in place to track and meter energy usage Kitchen Regularly evaluated existing ovens and other kitchen equipment for temperature settings and energy efficiency opportunities Confirmed that all refrigerator, freezer and oven gaskets provide a good seal, or replaced Routinely clean condenser coils on all refrigeration equipment Have proper pilot light adjustment Optimized flow rates of exhaust hoods through upgraded equipment or side panels. Lighting: Designed use of natural lighting Use lighting sensors to turn on/off lights Use occupancy sensors to turn on/off lights Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms Minimize the use of lighting during night cleaning Use of directional, downward-facing, lighting in parking areas and other outdoor areas Use high efficiency compact fluorescent light bulbs in rooms, canned lighting or wherever possible Use high efficiency fluorescent ballasts and lamps - T-5's & T-8's Use LED Exit Signs Use LED lighting for:Use LED lighting for some Exit signs, decorative lighting in the restaurant, outdoor gazebo, fitness center, and lobby areas Heating and Cooling Have a high efficiency heating and air-conditioning HVAC system Regularly perform preventative maintenance on HVAC system Have programmable thermostats for each room and ensure they are properly adjusted Have a centrally controlled HVAC system that is activated only when occupied Minimize the use of lighting during night cleaning Keep office doors and windows closed if HVAC system is on Housekeeping closes blinds and resets optimal temperatures Energy Efficiency: Turn off all electrical items in unoccupied rooms when not in use or at the end of the day Our Innovative Ideas and Specifics in Energy Conservation and Efficiency Use variable frequency drives on condenser lines for HVAC in the hotel. Linen Service and Laundry: We use these best management practices: Provide optional linen service - Change linens only upon request Train staff on the process for optional linen service Have signage in each room explaining the linen reuse procedures Minimize the use of bleach and chlorinated chemicals Recycle Grease We use the following best management practices: Store the grease and have it picked up by a rendering company Periodically pump the grease traps Filter the grease to prolong its life Have a contract with grease filtering company that takes the grease away Minimize Disposable Food Service Items We use the following best management practices: Use disposable foodservice items made from bio-based, renewable materials (corn, bamboo, etc.) Use disposable foodservice items made with recycled content Use recyclable foodservice items and actively recycle them Use compostable foodservice items and collect such items for composting or direct this material to available composting operations in your area Green Events We use the following best management practices: Support event planners who want to hold green events Include information on Green Events / Weddings / Meetings / Conferences in our marketing materials Provide visible recycling at all green events Minimize the use of disposable food service items Use electronic registration, correspondence and forms Use double-sided printing and copying Other Green Practices Transportation: We use the following best management practices: For guests: Offer shuttle service to/from mass transit locations Measurable Results From July 2009 - Jan 2010 we have reduced our solid waste going to the landfill by 13% as a result of our expansion of our recycling program, which now includes glass and plastic.