Norman Hotel & Conference Center Earns First ECO Platinum Certification

Oklahoma’s largest hotel and conference center has become the first property to earn the highest sustainable travel certification offered by ECO – Encouraging Conservation in Oklahoma – the state’s premiere sustainable travel program.

The National Center for Employee Development, located off State Highway 9 in Norman, earned the Platinum Travel Standard certification by meeting set criteria and implementing sustainability programs.

Hardy Watkins, Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department executive director, said the NCED is a good sustainability practices model for all conference centers.

“Since NCED is the largest conference facility in the state, its environmental impact is significant,” Watkins said. “By implementing sustainability programs and joining ECO in our conservation efforts, NCED is not only helping Oklahoma reduce its carbon footprint, but is also providing a benchmark that other large conference centers around the nation should seek to meet.”

NCED began implementing green programs about seven years ago, said Yves Badaroux, NCED general manager.

“Going green makes perfect business sense, and can be a significant driver of guest satisfaction, as well as associate engagement,” Badaroux said.

Some of the sustainability efforts include using environmentally-friendly laundry and cleaning products, recycled office supplies, low-VOC paints and converting the chlorine pool and spas to salt water. In addition, an herb garden is planted every year, and food scraps are donated to the Little River Zoo.

During a renovation in 2009, more than 64 tons of wall vinyl and carpet were recycled. Between 2008 and 2009, the facility reduced gas consumption by 18.3 percent, and began using glass water bottles, which eliminated the use of 80,000 plastic bottles a year.

Since 2009, the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department and Department of Environmental Quality’s ECO Certification program has promoted, developed and encouraged sustainable tourism throughout the state. ECO Certification requires applicants to meet set criteria and be reviewed by a national certification board. A certification level of silver, gold or platinum can be awarded, based on the level of sustainable practices the applicant chooses to implement.

The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD) is working to advance the exceptional quality of life in Oklahoma by preserving, maintaining, and promoting our natural assets and cultural richness. The department is the steward of the state park system and also promotes Oklahoma as a travel destination through many award-winning programs. To learn more about Oklahoma Tourism visit http://www.travelok.com/ or follow us at www.Facebook.com/TravelOK or www.Twitter.com/OklahomaTourism.

The Canebrake Becomes Oklahoma's First ECO-certified Property

The Canebrake resort has become the first location in Oklahoma to be certified as a sustainable tourism destination. ECO, or Encouraging Conservation in Oklahoma, is a program through the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality that promotes, develops and encourages sustainable tourism throughout the state. The Canebrake has proudly been awarded Gold Certification.

Hardy Watkins, OTRD executive director, said certifying The Canebrake resort is the first step in providing sustainable tourism options for travelers in Oklahoma. “I would like to congratulate The Canebrake on becoming the first ECO Certified destination in Oklahoma,” Watkins said. “The ECO program and the Tourism and Recreation Department realize the need for sustainable tourism in our state. The Canebrake’s gold certification marks the beginning of sustainable tourism opportunities for patrons of Oklahoma, and The Canebrake should be commended on their efforts for making sustainability one of their top priorities.”

The Canebrake offers guests a relaxing, rejuvenating escape in northeastern Oklahoma’s Green Country. Sam Bracken, The Canebrake owner, said the spa resort was built upon sustainable principles that continue to drive the Bracken family’s business practices. “The ECO program fits with our mission to be good stewards of the Earth in what we build, how we hire employees, the food we prepare and the building materials we use,” Bracken said. “Each and every one of us has to take responsibility for what we consume. We try to do the best we can financially and realistically to use sustainable products because it is the right thing to do.”

ECO Certification is a program that began in 2009 and requires applicants to meet a set of criteria prior to certification. Data from each location is analyzed and referred to a national certification board for a final review. A certification level of silver, gold or platinum can be awarded, based on the level of sustainable practices the applicant chooses to implement. There are seven categories for travel and tourism related businesses and organizations to choose from when applying for ECO Certification.

For more information about the ECO Certification Program, please visit: http://eco.oklatourism.gov/ or email: Jessica@TravelOK.com.

ECO Partners with Clean The World

As part of the ECO program, OTRD has partnered with several organizations who share sustainable goals. One of our partners is Clean the World, a Florida based non-profit organization launched in February 2009.

Last year, founders Shawn Seipler and Paul Till became inspired to make a difference. They created Clean the World with hopes of improving the quality of life for children in third world countries by recycling gently used soap and shampoo products—items commonly thrown away at hotels. These seemingly simple items have been proven to significantly reduce deaths and illnesses. Clean the World creates partnerships with hotels across the country to prevent these items from going to waste.

Since its founding less than a year ago, Clean the World has recycled 21,000 bars of soap and 50 gallons of shampoo and conditioner to distribute back into communities where these items are scarce. As an added bonus, the process has eliminated four tons of waste.

ECO is proud to be a partner in the Clean the World mission. ECO is committed to encouraging Oklahoma hotels to partner with Clean the World as part of making state travel more sustainable. Oklahoma currently has two hotels partnered with Clean the World, Oklahoma City’s Colcord Hotel and Tulsa’s Hotel Ambassador. Hotel Ambassador was recently featured on the Clean the World blog at http://cleantheworld.org/blog/.

The process is simple. Hotels sign up to donate soap and shampoo and Clean the World provides collection bins, online training resources, and marketing materials. Plus, they place your hotel’s logo on their website and give you a mention in their newsletter.

To learn more about Clean the World or the ECO mission you can visit http://www.cleantheworld.org/ or http://eco.oklatourism.gov/.

Seven Pilot Programs Lead the Travel Industry in Sustainable Certification

By Taylor Hall

OTRD recently launched ECO, Encouraging Conservation in Oklahoma, which seeks to promote, encourage and develop sustainable travel practices statewide. The ECO program is a dynamic partnership between the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.

As part of this exciting new program, OTRD and DEQ have developed an ECO certification which identifies businesses that have made a commitment to reducing their environmental impact. This certification is open to businesses and organizations throughout the state who wish to implement sustainable practices.

We are currently working with seven pilot programs including the Colcord Hotel, Maple Place Bed and Breakfast, Science Museum Oklahoma, Keystone State Park, Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, Blackwell Tourism Information Center, and Tulsa’s Polo Grill. These locations have filled out checklists identifying sustainable practices, worked with program leaders to develop an action plan, and implemented “Green teams” to oversee the improvements. OTRD offers continual support to these organizations every step of the way through education, marketing, and consultation throughout the process.

ECO makes certification simple, and OTRD is even offering free workshops throughout the state to provide businesses and organizations with information on this exciting new program. The workshops also provide insight into the marketing components offered through the ECO program, plus additional education about sustainable travel and the efforts going on in the community.

Upcoming workshops will be held in the following communities:

January 12, 2010 Oklahoma City – Science Museum Oklahoma (10 a.m.-noon)

January 27, 2010 Tahlequah – Armory Municipal Center (10 a.m.-noon)

February 9, 2010 Duncan – Simmons Center (10 a.m.-noon)

February 11, 2010 Enid (10 a.m.-noon)

We welcome anyone who is interested to participate in the ECO certification or a free Sustainable Travel workshop. For more information about the ECO program, please contact Jessica Blackstock, Sustainable Initiatives Coordinator, at (405) 230-8415 or Jessica@TravelOK.com.