LVCC, SEMA recycle 86 percent of show waste

LAS VEGAS  — The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) recorded its highest percentage of recycled materials from a major trade show during the recent Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show at 86 percent.

"We are very proud to have diverted more than 58 tons of waste from the show floor during SEMA," said Taryle Spain, director of client services for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), operators of the LVCC.  "We have made a commitment to being an environmentally-friendly facility, and our recycling program has had great success."

The LVCVA partners with Evergreen Recycling, a subsidiary of Republic Services, to sort and recycle materials during and after trade shows in the building. 

Evergreen is able to recycle materials such as carpet and padding, metals, cardboard, plastic, and wood that is used during trade shows at the facility.

"We committed to a comprehensive recycling program about three years ago, and we continue to see improvement," Spain said.  "Last year we achieved an overall recycling rate of 66 percent, and we are committed to pushing that past 70 percent this year."

In addition to the successful recycling program, the 50-year-old facility also utilizes environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies, switched to energy-efficient lighting, and purchased a bulb crusher to safely dispose of florescent light bulbs.

The Las Vegas Convention Center is one of the busiest facilities in the country and recycled more than 1,250 tons of waste in the past year.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center.  With more than 148,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 10.5 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA's mission centers on attracting ever‑increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area.  For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.VisitLasVegas.com.