Conference Energy Use Offset by Green Power

The electricity for this event has been matched by local, clean wind power through Mass Energy’s New England Wind program. Get tax-deductible clean power for your MA event, business or residence by contacting Mass Energy at 617-524-3950 for more information.

Seaport Hotel: among the greenest

After 2005’s BuildingEnergy conference, the first at Boston’s Seaport Hotel, NESEA urged the conference venue to embrace sustainability. It did, embarking on an ambitious effort to green the facility that landed it on a ForbesTraveler.com list of the greenest hotels in the United States. We could hardly be more pleased. Kudos, Seaport. For the most up-to-date news on the Seaport's green efforts, check out this link: https://www.seaportboston.com/seaport-saves.aspx

Multiple awards for sustainability

Seaport has been the recipient of several green awards:

• Boston Green Business Awards
• Mass Lodging Association Good Earth Keeping Award
• DEP Waste Wise Innovation Award
• Winner of 2009 EcoRace Recycling Challenge (BOMA Boston)
• Winner of 2009 EcoRace Innovation Award (BOMA Boston)

Reduced energy use

Over four years, Seaport reduced its energy use by 14 percent by instituting a smart thermostat program in guest rooms and replacing 100 percent of guest room and parking garage lightbulbs with compact fluorescents.

Reduced materials use

Key cards are made from 100 percent recycled material.

Reduced water use

Low-flow toilets (1.28 gpf) save 200,000 gallons of water every year. The nearly 18 tons of old toilets were donated to Jamaica, Nicaragua, and Haiti.

Food waste processed on-site

Seaport uses Waste-to-Water’s Bio-EZ system to rapidly decompose organic food waste into a liquid that can be safely discharged into the public waste disposal system. It was the first location in New England to use such a system.

Aggressive recycling and composting programs

As of 2008, Seaport was diverting 43 percent of its waste from the landfill through recycling and composting programs. That adds up to hundreds of tons of material. It was the first Boston hotel to institute in-room recycling—inspiring other city hotels to follow suit.

Chemical-free cleaning

After initially replacing all of its chemical cleaners with natural cleaners, Seaport went on to adopt a chemical-free electrolyzed water system in its housekeeping and kitchen departments. It was among the first five hotels in the country to do so.

Electric vehicle charging station

For electric vehicles, Seaport provides a free charging station—and free parking.

A low-chlorine swimming pool

Seaport was the first hotel in the country to use Grander water technologies, which reduced the amount of chlorine in the hotel pool by 50 percent.

Allergen-free rooms

Seaport was also one of the first properties in Boston—and only a dozen or so nationwide—to provide rooms for guests sensitive to irritants.