APSA Going Green Eco-Friendly Initiatives

As part of an effort to plan a more environmentally-friendly annual meeting, APSA has taken several steps toward our goal of holding a “green” meeting. These steps, adopted for the first time in planning the 2008 Annual Meeting in Boston, are centered around three areas of meeting execution.  

1. Secure venues which promote eco-friendly practices.
2. Provide an avenue to APSA Annual Meeting attendees to offset carbon emissions from personal travel to Boston.
3. Collaborate with companies who employ green practices and purchase products which are manufactured in an environmentally-friendly way.

Hynes Convention Center
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) retains its own “green” fact sheet, which illustrates the way that the Hynes Convention Center, which will house panels, roundtables, and the Annual Meeting Exhibition, has altered its procedures to better protect the environment. Examples include the addition of HEPA filters for cleaner air, energy minimization through sensor-controlled lighting, conserving water with water-saving plumbing and other devices, and reducing waste through recycling and donation. For information on all of the steps that the Hynes Convention Center is taking, please visit MCCA at www.mccahome.com/about_green.html.  

Sheraton Boston
The Sheraton Boston Hotel is one of only 1,420 commercial buildings in the US awarded the 2007 Energy Star rating by the Environmental Protection Agency for outstanding energy saving initiatives. The Sheraton offers a towel and linen reuse program to promote water conservation, and recycles all newspapers and paper materials to minimize waste. The Sheraton Boston also donates leftover food to local groups.

Boston Marriot Copley Place
The Marriott Copley Place conforms to all of the Marriott International standards of environmental policy. The hotel adheres to specific programs in all areas of practice, including waste management, recycling, water conservation, education, energy conservation, air quality, lighting, and transportation. The Marriott recently launched the use of both low consumption shower heads to conserve water and energy efficient light bulbs to reduce energy in all guest rooms.

Carbon Offset Program
APSA is partnering with Carbonfund.org as part of the association’s efforts to become a more environmentally responsible organization. APSA is offering attendees the option of offsetting their carbon footprint for attending the Annual Meeting by donating shares to CarbonFund.org. Each share costs $4. To calculate your carbon footprint for the Annual Meeting, visit the Carbon Calculator at www.carbonfund.org/site/pages/carbon_calculators. To find more information about APSA's efforts to reduce carbon emissions, please visit the Carbon Offset Program page.  

• 104th Annual Meeting Tote Bag, sponsored by C-SPAN, which is American made, union printed, and 100% cotton.
• 20-Ounce Reusable Water Bottle, sponsored by Cambridge Journals, each of which is molded with up to 100% recycled material and an enhanced biodegradability additive. Each bottle is made from HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene), recycled code 2, which is BPA free.
• 104th Annual Meeting Lanyard, sponsored by Cambridge Journals, which is made up of a 100% post-consumer plastic bottle yarn, called Eco-Fil. For more information on Eco-Fil, please visit www.omarainc.com/Eco-Fil.htm.