Holiday Inn Solomons Conference Center & Marina
155 Holiday Dr Solomons, MD 20688 Southern Maryland 410-326-6311 www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/solomons/slmmd/hoteldetail As a waterfront property and a responsible community partner,sustainability has been a core focus. Management and Leadership We use the following best management practices: Environment Policy Statement: Environmental Team: Our environmental team consists of the General Manager, Director of Rooms, The Vice President of Operations and a representative of our Maintenance staff. We meet monthly to incorporate new ideas and review our progress. The mission of our committee is to examine all areas of operation from the cleaning of our rooms with an ionized water system; to the installation of water and energy reducers; to continuing our outreach to local charities and schools. Our mission is always to reduce waste first by recycling materials through charities to those with the greatest need. Set Annual Goals: Our annual goals are to reduce water and utility consumption by at least 14% overall. We are members of the Holiday Inn system known as "Green Engage" which allows us to measure and review our progress on a monthly basis. We are also working directly with our Energy vendor to adjust our operations and look at innovations to reduce energy usage. Our focus on reducing waste is to partner with civic organizations to reduce as much waste as possible through reuse. An example of this is our partnership with Clean The World where all of our used amenities are recycled to needy communities throughout the world. We also work with shelters, schools, local charities and Habit for Humanity to re-purpose used inventory items. Beyond that, we measure our recycling monthly to ensure we are reaching our Hallmarks. Our action plans includes such items as investing in an Ionized Water System for cleaning our guestrooms and public areas as well as working with our energy provider to make technological changes that have reduced our energy consumption by over 11% in the last year. We have a purchasing policy to encourage the purchase of environmentally-friendly products and services List of our environmentally friendly products and services: Ionized Water System for cleaning public areas and guest rooms. Purchasing from "Green Certified" vendors, incorporating only recycled paper products into all phases of our operation. Purchasing bulk food items instead of individual in our food service. Purchasing locally grown food items. Independently Audited Environmental Management System: We use Green Engage through Intercontinental Hotels Group. We also utilize SMECO's Business Solutions Program to monitor our progress. 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 Performed a waste stream audit to determine baseline waste data and identify waste reduction opportunities Set a numeric goal of overall waste reduction Guest Rooms Use real coffee mugs and no polystyrene products Instruct housekeeping to save and reuse unopened items Kitchen and Prep / Dining / Catering / Meetings and Events / Campground Snack Bar Use effective food inventory control to minimize waste Purchase locally grown produce and other 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 cloth napkins and tablecloths Use reusable dishware and glassware and minimize use of disposables Use non-bleached napkins and coffee filters Use water pitchers and filtered water to minimize the use of single-use bottles Use menus and table placards as opportunity to communicate green activities Print menus on recycled FSC-certified, recycled-content paper with vegetable-based inks and include recycling symbols, recycled-content, and a message about the inks Provide organic, local or sustainable food choices Use screen-based ordering systems Launder staff uniforms using wet or other environmentally friendly methods versus chemical-based dry cleaning Restrooms Use bulk soap dispensers in public restrooms Purchase recycled-content paper towels and toilet paper Registration / Office Use last-in/first-out inventory and effective labeling systems 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 Purchase recycled paper with a high percentage recycled content Make 2-sided copies / printed materials and avoid making extra copies Use recycled content paper for copies / printed materials Remove facility and staff names from junk mail lists when possible Reuse scrap paper for notes Reuse or donate shipping and packing supplies (peanuts, bubble wrap, etc.) Promote other green attractions, activities and Maryland Green Travel facilities Buildings and Grounds Use green cleaning chemicals Dispense cleaning agents in bulk to reduce quantities used Purchase durable equipment and furniture Use reused building materials or those from sustainable sources Use latex paints that are low or no-VOC Reuse paint thinners Properly recycle and/or dispose of thinners and solvents - required by EPA regulations Perform preventative maintenance on all appliances, HVAC systems, plumbing and vehicles Use less toxic materials Minimize the use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers in landscaping Train staff effectively to use agrochemicals correctly and in proper applications Our Innovative Ideas and Specifics in Waste Reduction: With our commitment to our Ionized cleaning system we have reduced our carbon footprint by using water instead of chemicals. Therefore, our waste is reduced because those chemicals and packaging never come into our facility. Recycling In each guestroom corrider, the lobby, public areas and in every meeting room or conference center, clearly marked recycling containers are provided for guest use. We have clearly marked recycling bins or provide convenient drop off locations We are recycling: Aluminium Cans Batteries Cardboard Electronics equipment Glass Fluorescent Lamps Newspaper Office Paper Packing Supplies Pallets Plastic Printer and copy machine toner cartridges Other: We recycle all used amenities through Clean The World Foundation. This partnership allows us to not only reduce our waste stream but to help provide hygiene products to needy communities throughout the world. We recycle Aluminum and Building materials through Habitat for Humanity; Retired terry to the local Volunteer Fire Department; retired linens to local charities; Used amenities to Clean The World Foundation. All other materials are recycled through Bay Area Disposal. Our property is located in an area where a comprehensive recycling program is not available and have developed a written explanation of the recycling opportunities that are provided 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 Have a numeric goal to reduce water consumption over time Assessed production for water-conserving opportunities during cleaning procedures Perform preventative maintenance to stop drips and leaks Use water-flow metering to discover leaks and areas of high use Offer water versus serving automatically Discourage water-based cleanup, ie. sweep first Use microfiber technology mops Defrost foods ahead of time in refrigerators to avoid the need for running-water defrost 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) low flow urinals (1 gpf or less) automatic or sensored faucets or toilets in public restrooms high efficiency Energy-Star rated dishwashers Have an effective landscape management plan which utilizes: native species drought tolerant species minimizes lawn areas	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 a numeric goal to reduce energy usage over time Have had an energy audit to identify efficiency opportunities 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 Implemented a startup / shutdown procedure which specifies timing for lighting, kitchen equipment, room temperature, etc. Have proper pilot light adjustment Setting / installing defrost timers for freezers Installed high-efficient evaporator fans for freezers and refrigerators 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:guest rooms and public areas Heating and Cooling Regularly perform preventative maintenance on HVAC system 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 Have installed additional insulation Energy Efficiency: Turn off all electrical items in unoccupied rooms when not in use or at the end of the day 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 Have water- and energy-efficient washers and dryers Use non-phosphate, non-toxic and biodegradable laundry detergents Minimize the use of bleach and chlorinated chemicals Use linen service providers that employ wet versus dry cleaning 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 Green Events We use the following best management practices: Support event planners who want to hold green events Provide visible recycling at all green events Minimize the use of disposable food service items Use double-sided printing and copying Use recycled content paper and soy based ink Other Green Practices Transportation: We use the following best management practices: Minimize the Comute of our Employees-Adjusted work hours to correlate to public transportation. Addressing Efficient Business Travel-We have partnered with a company to provide local transportation with electric vehicles. For guests: Encourage energy efficient vehicle usage Provide preferred parking for hybrid or other fuel efficient vehicles Educate guests on the availability of mass transit Provide electric golf cart hookup Other: Programs:Green Engage by Intercontinental hotels Group. SMECO Business Solutions Program Partnership with Clean The World Foundation Measurable Results In the last year we have reduced our energy consumption by 11%. We have recycled 52 Tons through our waste management company.