Hilton Minneapolis aims to operate in a fashion that leaves the softest environmental footprint as possible. Their goals are to reduce consumption, and replace non-earth friendly items with sustainable ones, and educate guests and team members on how they can do the same.
Sustainable procedures currently underway in the hotel include:
Food and Beverage:
- Food that is exposed to the public (scraps) is picked up by Second Harvest and processed into Hog Feed for local farmers
- Hilton Minneapolis recycles over 44,000 pounds of food annually
- Hilton purchases locally grown organic food from local area farmers when possible. (Heartland Food Network)
- Restaurant water service offered only upon request
- Linen free breaks and receptions
Office-Wide Efforts:
- Each department is to print on both sides of paper to reduce total ream usage by 50%
- Most departments are going “paperless” when applicable
- LCD projectors are used for internal meetings to assist in reducing paper use
- All office waste (paper) is shredded and recycled
- Ink and toner recycling programs eliminate the disposal of plastic cartridges into landfills
- Separate recycling containers for paper and cans/bottles provided near meeting room area for proper disposal
Back of the House Recycling:
- Recycling Packer - Hotel recycles all cardboard received:
- Total cardboard in tons: 98.35 annually
- Recycling Carts - In addition, we recycle glass and plastic through the use of twenty-four strategically placed, 90-gallon carts:
- Total glass and plastic in tons: 7.20 annually
- Hilton Minneapolis’ goal in 2008 was the complete cessation of Styrofoam use. This will eliminate 245,000 Styrofoam cups/clamshells as consumed in 2007.
Guest Rooms Initiatives:
- Body heat sensitive thermostats and door switches detect guestroom occupancy and adjust room temperatures based on sensory detection. This mechanism reduces guestroom energy use by 30% annually.
- Fluorescent light bulbs used in bathrooms and in the desk and bedside lamps saves about 4,560 kilowatts annually. Hilton also uses fluorescent lighting in the lobby, corridors, public restrooms, offices, meeting rooms and outdoor areas.
- Guestrooms are equipped with water conserving fixtures such as shower heads and toilets.
- Mattress covers are made out of natural bamboo, a sustainable and naturally-anti-microbial fiber.
- Pure organic cotton, grown without use of pesticides is also used in the Hilton bed package.
Guest Room Bed by Serta:
- Are designed to minimize waste, energy consumption and emissions.
- All remnant scrap of ticking, foam, and plastic is recycled
- All crating materials for innersprings are recycled
- Plants and suppliers are located near their customers to minimize transportation cost and fuel consumption
- Finally, they have reduced secondary packing to less than 5% of product weight
Housekeeping:
- When a guest stays for an extended period of time, housekeeping washes the sheets every three days unless otherwise requested.
- Housekeeping no longer uses softeners in the wash, therefore less chemicals are going into the environment and sheets are lasting longer without a compromise in quality.
- Wash Cloths and towels that are no longer up to Hilton standards are turned into rags.
- Housekeeping closets on the guestroom floors have sensory lighting
- Used shampoo, conditioner and lotion donated to local shelters
- Torn or damaged bed sheets are recycled into pillow cases
- Carpet shampoo used is chemical free
Laundry Initiative:
- In 2007, Hilton Minneapolis installed the "Ozone Laundry System" (OLS)
BEFORE OZONE: Gallons of hot water - 198 per load
AFTER OZONE: Gallons of hot water – 89 per load
GALLONS of hot water SAVED: 109 gallons of hot water saved per load
- Hilton Minneapolis averages 42 loads per day or 15,330 loads annually. The Ozone technology reduced hot water consumption more than 50% (from about 200 gallons to about 100 gallons of hot water per load).
- OLS reduces the carbon footprint by 209,000 lbs annually
Security:
- Responsible for turning off meeting room lights when not in use overnight
- Monitor dock doors to eliminate warm and cold air from entering or escaping the building
- 11th street bathrooms are closed down from 1am – 6am to conserve energy
Landscaping:
- Hilton Minneapolis’ debris and yard waste is collected and hauled to county-operated composting stations.
Still to come…
- New energy efficient boiler will be installed in 2009
Book your room today!
Hilton Minneapolis
1001 Marquette Ave. South
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone: 612.376.1000
www.minneapolis.hilton.com
Rate: $135.00 USD/night
Make your reservations early. APWA room rates are offered on a space-available basis until May 8, 2010. Rates do not include tax, currently 13.775%. Call 1-800-HILTONS and ask for the APWA rate. Or to make reservations online, visit www.minneapolis.hilton.com and use code APW.