The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Marks ‘America Recycles Day’ with a New Waste Audit Report

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The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Marks ‘America Recycles Day’ with a New Waste Audit Report

11/15/2024
NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) is celebrating America Recycles Day on November 15 by sharing the results of its second major waste audit which took place last month. America Recycles Day is a day to raise recycling awareness and encourage people to realize the importance of recycling for a more sustainable Earth – something the Convention Center takes pride in cultivating.

During the Water Environment Federation's Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) on Oct. 8 at the NOEMCC, Convention Center employees, event staff and special guests (dubbed the “Trash Team”) sorted through thousands of pounds of a representative sample of waste materials. The overarching goal of the waste audit was to gain insight for improving NOENMCC events’ waste diversion rate by reducing the surplus of materials getting sent to landfills. The contents of trash, recycling and composting bins were collected over a 24-hour period and then sorted by hand into groups (e.g. metals, plastics, compostables, landfill waste, etc.) to determine the extent to which materials were placed in the proper collection bins.

After the Trash Team sorted approximately 3,678 pounds of garbage, recycling and compost, the audit report revealed that event attendees were putting about 28 percent of what was recyclable into the correct recycling bins. After the hand sorting, the Trash Team raised that number to 65 percent.

Volunteers on the Trash Team included NOENMCC leadership and staff as well as representatives from New Orleans & Company, Sustainable Investment Group (SIG), Waste2Zero, Osprey Initiative and Honeycomb Consulting.

“When it comes to recycling, we rarely see venues with the kind of top-to-bottom buy-in we found at the NOENMCC,” said Brian Bollinger of Sustainable Investment Group, the Convention Center’s LEED consultant. “From the guys at the loading docks all the way up to the organization’s C-suite, these are people who take pride in the work they’re doing to increase their facility’s waste diversion. Their ongoing improvements are making a difference, and they are well on their way to being among the nation’s top convention centers for attendee recycling.”

Thanks to the hand sorting and subsequent analysis, Bollinger was able to estimate that, with better training for visitors, an additional 46 percent of what was in the trash bins could have been directed to the recycling bins.

The audit report also gave the NOENMCC actionable steps to help improve the event recycling rate by increasing clarity at the point of disposal — such as adding more signage for the bins and/or by having dedicated staff members stationed at the point of decision to help attendees select the correct bins.

“We are very serious about our sustainability mission here at the Convention Center,” said Adam J. Straight, Convention Center Chief Operating Officer. “At a high level, it’s easy to see how analyzing and improving our waste diversion efforts will help us reduce our environmental impact. But this hands-on experience, and really digging into the process in real time, brings into sharp focus the importance of fine-tuning our signage, sorting practices and procedures to help us continue to improve our recycling rate. Small changes will make a big difference.”

Another issue that can impact recycling rates is contamination. When food, liquids or other non-recyclable content is mistakenly put into a recycling bin, some or all the content of that bin can become contaminated and cannot be recycled. One of the most common mistakes is throwing a soda bottle or can into a recycling bin, even though it still has three inches of liquid at the bottom.

“Sending residue to a recycling facility can gum up the machines,” said Bollinger. “It has to be empty.” His rule of thumb: “If it’s not clean enough for your grandmother’s dishwasher, it’s not clean enough for a recycling facility.”

According to the waste audit report, the WEFTEC attendees’ recycling was 16 percent contaminated, which is within the 20 percent limit set by the recycling facility.

To further reduce contamination rates at the Convention Center, the SIG team suggested placing liquid disposal bins between trash cans and recycling bins at the facility. Liquid disposal bins are set on wheels and house a detachable hose so employees can easily empty collected liquid into a nearby drain and roll the bin back into place.

Following the October waste audit event organized by Convention Center Director of Sustainability Linda Baynham and her team, the waste audit report provided a detailed account of each waste stream and analysis about potential opportunities for improving the building’s overall diversion rate.

“Waste diversion — not just for events but also for facility management and construction projects — is a vital part of the Convention Center’s mission to reduce our environmental impact,” said Convention Center President and CEO Michael J. Sawaya. “In detailing the results of our recent waste audit, we are sharing what we learned to help inform and inspire other businesses in our region to develop or expand their own recycling programs.”

The waste audit supports the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification the NOENMCC received from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2022 and will factor into its 2025 LEED recertification application. Baynham was instrumental in leading the Convention Center team through its first LEED certification, making NOENMCC the first convention center in the world to achieve this standard under the latest guidelines for operations and maintenance.

About the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
New Orleans is Built to Host! With 1.1 million square feet of prime exhibit space on one level, all under one roof, NOENMCC is tied for the sixth-largest convention center in the United States. NOENMCC is a 2025 EXHIBITOR magazine Centers of Excellence recipient and is consistently named a regional top workplace by The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. A recent LEED Gold certification makes NOENMCC the largest LEED-certified project in Louisiana and the largest convention center project in the U.S. certified under LEED v4.1 Operations and Maintenance, as well as the first convention center in the world to be awarded initial certification under LEED Gold v4.1 O+M. A leading contributor to the city’s robust tourism economy, NOENMCC event activity has produced $90.1 billion in economic impact since its 1985 opening. www.mccno.com

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