Recycle on the Go Success Story
Recycling Organics at Boston Convention &
Exhibition Center
Organics recovery programs help the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) save money, feed the hungry, and
lower its environmental footprint. By continuously evaluating the waste stream at the convention center, and working
with vendors and haulers to design a comprehensive program, BCEC is striving for maximum environmental results.
Facts at a Glance
BCEC covers more than
1.6 million square feet,
including 516,000 square
feet of exhibit space and
84 meeting rooms, and
a 40,020-square-foot
ballroom.
The convention center
hosted 113 events and
549,000 people in 2008.
Organic materials and
plastics are transported
from the nearby Hynes
Convention Center to
the BCEC for pickup
for recycling to improve
marketability.
In 2008 BCEC recycled
almost 200 tons of
materials.
The BCEC saved $27/
ton in avoided disposal
costs with its organics
recycling program.
Program Overview
In May 2006, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA), Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) New England initiated a plan to divert food waste by composting at
the BCEC. The project expanded the State of Massachusetts' successful statewide
commercial organics diversion strategy to include convention and conference centers. A
complementary component of this strategy has been the cultivation of composting capacity
in the State. Focusing on composting at the BCEC was a natural fit for this strategy,
offering the opportunity to divert organics from the BCEC and to leverage available
compositing capacity at a farm-based composting facility.
Recycling at the BCEC
The BCEC opened for business in June 2004 with a capacity for more than 25,000
attendees a day. The facility contains 1.6 million square feet and fills Boston's need to
accommodate large conventions and tradeshows. It has 516,000 square feet of exhibit
space—the largest contiguous exhibit hall on the East Coast—and 160,000 square feet of
meeting space in 84 meeting rooms.
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Recycle on the Go
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Tradeshow materials and the waste generated fluctuates with the variety
and size of events held at the conference center. The BCEC staff identifies
and collects tradeshow-specific materials for donation, reuse, recycling,
or composting. Staff members modify the breakdown procedures to
incorporate material-specific containers on the tradeshow floor. Events
at the BCEC generate food waste from diverse sources, including small
coffee service areas, refreshment stands, temporary food service units,
an international food court, and a 40,020-square-foot grand ballroom.
The food service staff at the BCEC has served catered meals for as many
as 9,000 convention patrons at one time. ARAMARK is the exclusive
food service/beverage provider, under the leadership of Executive Chef
Michael Tracy.
Early in the convention center's recycling program, bottles and cans were
collected and turned in at local redemption centers, which accepted and
recycled non-deposit plastic water bottles in addition to soda bottles and
cans that have bottle deposits. (When the BCEC changed redemption
centers, non-deposit water bottles were no longer accepted. The BCEC
then expanded its plastics recycling program to include these water bottles
and other plastics.) Cardboard was collected and placed in a recycling
compactor, waste from the facility was put in a trash compactor, and
open-top dumpsters were used for large and bulky items. At the time, the
BCEC did not divert any organics to composting, although it did donate
appropriate food leftovers to the Boston Food Bank.
Jet-A-Way of Roxbury, MA, provided waste removal and management
services for the BCEC. As a result of this project, Jet-A-Way installed an
organics compactor for food waste and other compostable materials. The
BCEC dedicated an enclosed recycling area in the back room/loading dock
area. The facility conducted an economic analysis for the capital investment
required to maximize cardboard and plastic recycling using a vertical baler.
Tips for Reducing Food
Waste at Convention Centers
Americans throw away almost 25
percent of the food we prepare, or
approximately 100 billion pounds, and
recover fewer than 3 percent of food
waste. The United States spends about
$ 1 billion a year to dispose of food
waste. Convention center staff and
event managers can minimize the costs
associated with food waste by planning
ahead.
1. Try to reduce the amount of
food waste generated by carefully
controlling portion sizes. Conference
attendees often leave considerable
amounts of food on their plates,
which must be disposed of.
2. Donate leftover food from events. The
"Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food
Donation Act" (Public Law 104-210)
provides legal protection to donors
of food. You can locate local food
banks or food rescue organizations
at Feeding America, a national
food bank network. Or, work with
Rock and Wrap It Up!, a nonprofit
organization working to alleviate
hunger.
3. If you cannot donate leftover food,
compost it along with food prep
and plate scraps. Diverting organics
reduces trash hauling costs, and
composting produces a valuable
material that is beneficial to the
environment.
EPA provides more information on
managing food scraps at www.epa.gov/
wastes/conserve/materials/organics/food.
Recycle on the Go U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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Nuts and Bolts
Organics Project. In 2006, a coalition of representatives from the BCEC management team,
Massachusetts DEP, EPA, ARAMARK, Jet-A-Way, and Rocky Hill composting facility in
Saugus, MA, defined how best to move forward with organics diversion at the BCEC.
In March 2006, in coordination with Massachusetts DEP, the BCEC initiated several
of its earliest tradeshow organics recycling programs. The first, the New England Grows
tradeshow, donated two tractor-trailer loads of plant and landscaping materials for reuse at
local agricultural high schools. The International Seafood Show, also in March, collected
more than 22 tons offish and fish products from the tradeshow vendors for composting.
The coalition made improvements to the source separation program prior to the very large
Microsoft conference/tradeshow (10,500 attendees) in June 2006.
Michael Tracy of ARAMARK led the communication and training initiative for the food
service personnel involved with food preparation, presentation, and cleanup. The organics
diversion program included both food prep waste and postconsumer waste, including
leftover food and plate scrapings where appropriate. The coalition developed a training
manual that identifies materials that can and cannot be included in the program and
includes examples of signage in several languages. Permanent staff learned the procedures
and train the temporary staff brought in for each show.
To support the new organics program, the hauling vendor installed a dedicated open-
top container for the Microsoft show. The BCEC positioned the organics compactor
and other recycling storage/removal systems in the loading dock area with signage and
fenced in the area. The dock manager, building services manager, kitchen staff, and
cleaning staff worked collaboratively to oversee organics disposal, cardboard recycling,
and returnable bottle operations. BCEC employees monitored disposal of organics to
prevent contaminants, such as plastics, from being disposed of in the organics container.
In addition, the BCEC employees, including temporary help, placed cardboard and paper
into the dedicated cardboard compactor.
Following the successful execution of the organics program during the Microsoft event, the
BCEC decided to include the organics composting program as a permanent component
of its waste management process. The organics program proved itself again at the EPA
Brownfields conference in fall 2006. At this event, conference organizers focused on
composting organics, recycling cardboard, diverting refundable cans/bottles to the local
recycling center, recycling paper at the end of the conference, and providing recycling
for conference attendees—with a goal of making this event as sustainable as possible. Of
the 6.8 tons of waste generated at the Brownfields conference, 1.2 tons of food waste was
diverted to composting and 1.8 tons of cardboard and paper were recycled.
Building on the success of the BCEC organics program, the Hynes Convention Center,
another MCCA facility, established a limited organics diversion program in early 2007.
To reduce contamination, the BCEC later replaced the organics compactor with 65-gallon
wheeled carts, which were also used by the Hynes Convention Center.
Plastics Project. The coalition reviewed options for plastics recycling from an operational
and economic perspective and concluded that including all plastics would increase
diversion rates for all types of plastics, as well as provide economic benefits due to revenue
for the plastics and avoided disposal costs. The analysis included plastics brought over
Recycle on the Go U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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from the Hynes Convention Center. To capture as much
plastic as possible in the waste stream, the BCEC decided
to collect pallet stretch wrap, plastic sheeting material,
shrink wrap, plastic water bottles, plastic pails, and
assorted plastic waste such as damaged bread racks, coat
hangers, waste baskets, and chairs. Based on the analysis,
the BCEC purchased and installed a vertical baler for
plastics, the same type of baler used for cardboard baling,
for approximately $10,000. All film plastic, such as pallet
stretch wrap and plastic sheeting material, are placed in
the baler. When it has collected five bales, the BCEC
notifies the hauler and has them picked up for recycling.
The BCEC added a 35-yard self-contained compactor for
comingled containers, into which they mix all containers
generated from the kitchen, deposit bottles/cans, water
bottles, and rigid plastics for recycling. Other plastics
from the kitchen, such as plastic buckets, also go into a
compactor. Large objects such as broken plastic furniture
and any other discarded large plastic items go into an
open-top container and are sent to recycling.
As an alternative to using plastics, many events look at
biodegradable utensils, plates, cups, and packaging options. Though these products are
compostable at some composting facilities, the operational utilization of these products
from a practicality and event organizer acceptance level still has hurdles to overcome.
Color, appearance, and product strength are characteristics that food service personnel
measure against conventional plates, utensils, and cups. In addition, the current pricing
structure for these materials is still greater than that of conventional plastics. To date, the
BCEC has not utilized these products to any great extent, but plans to review and consider
biodegradable items as an option for event planners in the future.
Project Results
The organics recycling program has seen continual success since 2006. A total of 67 tons
of food waste and other organics were collected for composting in 2007, and the BCEC
increased its annual pull to 103 tons in 2008. The BCEC saved $27/ton in avoided
disposal costs with its organics recycling program.
The BCEC has had similar tonnage results for cardboard recycling, with 74 tons collected
in 2007 and 122 tons in 2008. By diverting the cardboard through recycling, the BCEC
avoided $82.50/ton in disposal costs and received an additional per ton revenue on the
materials collected.
In 2008, the BCEC collected and recycled 18 tons of plastic film, along with 15 tons of
comingled containers.
Recycle on the Go U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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Additional Program Enhancements
In August 2008, the BCEC contracted separately with a local recycling company, Save That
Stuff, Inc., to help grow its waste diversion and recycling program and assist in maximizing
the materials coming out of individual shows.
Additional improvements to the program include the following:
• Collecting and recycling carpet, including the cardboard tubes the carpet is rolled around.
• Placing beverage and paper recycling containers in exhibition areas, hallways, and meeting
rooms.
• Installation of a new 300-gallon stainless steel storage tank to collect fryer oil from the kitchen,
which is made into biodiesel for heating and transportation.
• Collecting, sorting, and storing vendor giveaways and other booth materials for distribution to
charitable organizations, schools, and other recipients.
• Collecting wood pallets to be reused, or, if broken, sent to a
composting facility.
• Dedicating a storage room for the collection and sorting
of e-waste for recycling. This includes wire cables, light
bulbs, computer monitors, batteries, and other electronic
equipment from facility operations and left by vendors.
• In the food court areas, providing condiments in bulk
dispensers or compostable materials, along with some
compostable cups and plates. Plastic creamer containers
remain one of the major contaminants that the BCEC
needs to remove from its recycling stream.
• Using a portion of the compost derived from the BCEC's
organic waste stream for landscaping onsite.
Challenges and Solutions
Challenge. Contamination of the organics compactor.
Solution. The BCEC solved its contamination problem by assigning an organics point
person, the recycling manager, to the back room operation to direct each
commodity to its respective collection container. Also as a quality control
measure, the BCEC replaced the organics compactor with thirty-five 65-gallon
totes and installed a dedicated area below the loading dock where materials are
picked up daily, and as needed during events.
Challenge. Training the employee workforce, including temporary workers.
Solution. The BCEC addressed its training challenge through direct involvement of the
executive chef and development of a training manual that identifies materials
that can and cannot be included in the composting program. The manual
includes examples of signage in multiple languages. Permanent staff has been
trained on the procedures, and they in turn train any temporary staff brought
in for shows.
Recycle on the Go U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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Challenge. Disposal of recyclables (organics and cardboard) in the trash compactor.
Solution. The BCEC solved this problem by designating an area in the back room for
recyclables with fencing, signs, and oversight by operations management.
Employees bring all materials collected from the exhibition floor in wheeled
totes to the recycling area where they sort and deposit materials into the
various collection containers.
Challenge. Varied hauling frequencies of the organics container due to event scheduling
and food service activities.
Solution. The BCEC solved its hauling challenge by close communication with
ARAMARK, the recycling manager, and the composting facility. Depending
on the size of the event, the composting vendor picks up organics once,
twice, or even three times a day for the large events.
Challenge. Effective source separation of post-event recyclables from the show floor.
Solution The BCEC management team solved this problem through communication
with show planners and the post-event cleanout workforce, coupled with
designated collection containers for organics, paper, cardboard, reuse items,
and trash stationed throughout the show floor area during cleanout.
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste (5306P)
EPA53OF-09-029
February 2010
www.epa.gov/recycleonthego
^cycled/Recyclable - Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Postconsumer,
Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper
EPA is partnering with
other Federal agencies,
states, municipalities, and
organizations to promote
recycling away from home.
www.epa.gov/recycleonthego
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