The Umstead Hotel and Spa
The Umstead Hotel and Spa located in Cary is also subject to North Carolina’s law requiring all ABC permit holders to recycle containers. So in 2008, they created a Green Team, and in the past eight months have made “huge strides in terms of glass recycling,” according to Brent Dexter, Director of Revenue Management and Chairperson of the Green Initiative at the hotel.
Glass containers, mostly generated at the bar, make up about 40% of their recyclables. Food residuals, which are sent to a farm for composting, and corrugated cardboard make up the other large portions of items recycled.
Most of the recycled glass containers are wine bottles. “With a sommelier in charge of our 5,000-bottle wine collection, we go through a large quantity of bottles,” says Dexter. Glass containers are also used for serving sodas in the restaurants, liquor, beer, and mini-condiment bottles.
Glass is collected behind the bar and then taken to the loading dock and picked-up three days a week by a subcontractor for Waste Management. According to Dexter, they have minimized dramatically the amount going to trash and have been able to reduce the number of trash pulls. “My accountant is very happy we started the green team,” says Dexter.
Another benefit of recycling says Dexter is the change in staff attitudes. “Our staff is seeing how much they can do with recycling, and that they are doing something to make a difference in the environment,” says Dexter. “We hope they take these green practices home with them as well.”
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About the institute
The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) is the trade association representing the North American glass container industry. Through GPI, glass container manufacturers speak with one voice to advocate industry standards, promote sound environmental policies and educate packaging professionals. GPI member companies manufacture glass containers for food, beverage, cosmetic and many other products. GPI also has associate members that represent a broad range of suppliers and closure manufacturers.
