Sustainability

AIBTM and Reed Travel Exhibitions understand our events and processes can have both positive and negative impacts on environmental, social and economic aspects of the meetings and event industry and the local area in which they operate.

The Baltimore Convention Center is committed to this initiative through the following operations:

BCC

The BCC recycling program is single stream. You can put any times into the one container: paper, plastic, aluminum cans. There are marked cans throughout the building and on the show floor.
The BCC has a cardboard bailer to condense materials to be recycled
Food waste is recycled through the Somat machine.

Catering

Centerplate's sustainable preferential purchasing system increases support of local farmers and the community. Our "Farm-to-Table" program buys locally, whenever possible, thereby conserving energy and creating less pollution when foods travel fewer miles to reach the Convention Center.
China service is utilized, for meetings rooms and the ballroom, to help reduce waste.
Reusable service equipment is used on buffets and break stations.
Centerplate's participation includes using eco-friendly items. Coffee stirrers along with beverage cups and sleeves are made of recycled materials, all of which are biodegradable. Plates, spoons, forks, and knives all are made of recycled plastics (we are currently, transitioning in biodegradable service ware: corn resin cups, potato starch cutlery and pulp fiber plates).
Coffee urns are thermal units that do not require canned/chemical heat or electricity.
Complimentary water coolers are in all meeting rooms and the ballroom, reducing waste from individual water bottles.
Eco-friendly centerpieces of dried flora used whenever possible.
Whenever possible, leftover foods are donated to local shelters and soup kitchens.
Solid Waste Reduction System, SOMAT, reduces solid catering waste by 90% (this waste is collected from everything from kitchen scraps to leftover non-reusable foods). SOMAT transforms reduced solid waste into a soil amendment product that is in turn used for the upkeep of the grounds and flower beds. Currently, the system has transformed over 18,000 pounds of waste into slightly over 2,000 lbs of usable soil product. (1st Quarter reading)
Send correspondence to customers via email.
Recycle office supplies, white paper and ink cartridges.
50% of cleaning chemicals are now Green Seal Eco-friendly certified.