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Welcome to MGM Grand's Web Page on Environmental Awareness! Here we will share MGM Grand's efforts in our commitment and dedication to the preservation of earth's precious resources.
Please click on any of our interest areas such as Waste Management and Recycling, Natural Resources Conservation, Sustainable Procurement, and Communication and Education. Each area will showcase the accomplishments and continuing efforts of that discipline. We also have a special section titled "In the News" so check here for the latest updates.
OUR VISION
Our vision is for the MGM Grand to be the leader in the gaming industry by adopting sustainable practices. Our responsibility is to educate our employees, guests and vendors on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. We will integrate sustainability into the social fabric of our company by developing the knowledge and skills needed to think globally and act locally.
OUR MISSION
MGM Grand's mission is to identify and promote sustainable business practices. We will fulfill this mission through:
BROCHURES
For questions or concerns regarding MGM Grand Hotel’s Sustainability policies and procedures, please email greengoinggreener@lv.mgmgrand.com
Some employees spent time at local waste and recycling facilities to better understand the waste management process.
Additional MGM Grand programs are described here:
Welcome to MGM Grand's Natural Resource Conservation page! Like many companies and individuals, we believe that conserving our natural resources is of the utmost importance, especially in the arid desert. Everyone has a vested interest in ensuring we save when it comes to electricity, natural gas and water. Below are some of MGM Grand's improvements in support of desert living.
(or the fine art of Purchasing)
Welcome to MGM Grand's Procurement page! MGM Grand considers the raw material extraction process, the recycled content and recyclability of a product, as well as the manufacturing process and overall durability. Some specific procurement activities include:
Welcome to MGM Grand's Sustainability Communication & Education page. Educating employees, vendors and guests about conservation is critical for MGM Grand's commitment to the environment.
Welcome to the most up to date information on sustainability at MGM Grand!
Here we will provide information on what we're currently working on and what you can expect in the future.
What's happening now?
MGM Resorts International has issued its Environmental Responsibility Report known as its "Green Advantage".
MGM Resorts International, a world leader in hospitality and entertainment, has issued its Environmental Responsibility Report chronicling its comprehensive philosophy known as its "Green Advantage". The report, released during the Fourth Annual National Clean Energy Summit held at the Company's Aria Hotel, outlines the company's strategic approach and recent achievements toward improved stewardship of the environment at its 15 resorts around the country.
"Environmental responsibility is a core company value that is woven into and throughout our culture and business operations," said James J. Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International. "For our customers, environmental stewardship is becoming a key area of awareness. They are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their expectations, and we are proud to be a leader in demonstrating that environmental responsibility and a superior guest experience go hand-in-hand with world class hospitality and entertainment," Murren said.
The report details the Company's efforts in five core areas:
As of the end of 2010, the Company succeeded in reducing electric power consumption by 140 M kWh; reduced Carbon Dioxide Emissions by 56 thousand metric tons; reduced water consumption by 200 M gallons; and diverted more than 33% of its waste from local landfills. The Company also introduced the first fleet of CNG-powered limousines, as well as organic and sustainable food strategies at its 165 restaurants.
Additionally, the Company worked with its suppliers to develop sustainable purchasing practices focused on raw materials, logistics and an assessment of the environmental impact of products; while also conducting Outreach & Education to employees, guests, suppliers and the communities in which it operates to help increase awareness that personal actions can affect future generations.
"Leadership is about walking the talk," Murren said "We are proud that our efforts have been validated by our properties receiving the highest levels in the Green Key Eco-Hospitality Rating system, and that City Center in Las Vegas is the largest LEED Gold certified development in the world, with six LEED Gold awards."
Shattering misconceptions
Robust glass recycling program earns Company award
When the Washington D.C.-based Glass Packaging Institute contacted the Company earlier this year, it was to encourage our resorts to start a recycling program for glass bottles and containers.
Little did they know!
"They came to us planning on lobbying us to start recycling glass," said Brad Tomm, Sustainability Manager for the Company's Energy & Environmental Services Division. "I was able to pull a report to show them that we already are recycling glass. We recycled 1,200 tons last year and we're on track to do 3,000 this year. They had no idea. They were shocked."
Shocked, and impressed. The trade organization representing the glass industry this month honored MGM Resorts International with a "Friend of Glass" award for the recycling effort. The Company is one of just six corporations in the country to receive the distinction. It's the first recycling-specific award - the award itself actually made of the recycled glass - that the Company has received.
Glass is one of the most recyclable commodities? It can be endlessly recycled, re-used again and again to make new glass bottles and containers.
According to the EPA, Americans generated about 12.2 million tons of glass waste in 2008, and less than 25 percent of it was recycled.
"It came for the corporation, but this recognition is really for the properties and the respective green teams," Mr. Tomm said. "We were successful in getting every property on board (with glass recycling) in a short period. They've worked hard to get it rolling over the past year. The tonnage has been astonishing."
The Company recently earned the "Friend of Glass" award from the Glass Packaging Institute.
The glass recycling effort is one of the newest Companywide sustainability programs at MGM Resorts. It began at Mandalay Bay in late 2008 and spread to sister resorts. By early this year, every Strip resort had a program in place. MGM Resorts was the first operator in the city to recycle glass on a Compaywide basis, Mr. Tomm said.
In August, the resorts collectively recycled about 325 tons of glass. It saves money, because pulling the heavy and voluminous glass bottles from the waste stream means fewer dumpster "pulls" and ultimately less refuse in the landfill.
"It's good for the company and good for the environment. It's been really successful," said Mr. Tomm.
Most of the resorts sort the glass and other recyclables from the waste stream at the refuse docks, though some are venturing further into "upstream" recycling, that is, sorting the trash in restaurants, bars and other venues long before it reaches the docks. MGM Grand Las Vegas now has upstream recycling in every resort kitchen, restaurant and bar, including its two nightclubs, said Food & Beverage Administration Manager Jeremy Underwood, who also chairs the resort's green team, Green Going Greener.
MGM Resorts International recently became a member of the Environmental Protection Agency's WasteWise program, which encourages companies and organizations to reduce municipal solid waste through waste prevention, recycling, and buying or manufacturing recycled products.
More than 1,100 organizations have joined WasteWise since 1994, demonstrating their leadership in finding cost-effective ways to reduce waste and recycle. MGM Resorts is the second-largest member, as measured by the resorts' total volume of recyclables - 21,000 tons recycled in 2009.
"We've been separating glass at the nightclubs for two full months now. It's going well," he said. "It takes a little staff training, but it's definitely something the employees want to do. Not only that, but guests look for it. They want to know, what happens to this glass?"
The glass is shipped to Southern California, where it is crushed, smelted and manufactured into new containers.
"Glass is endlessly recyclable and there are big energy savings when recovered glass is used to make new bottles," Joseph Cattaneo, President of the Glass Packaging Institute, said in a recent press release about the Company's Friend of Glass honor. "We thank MGM Resorts International for collecting and recycling glass containers for bottle-to-bottle use. We hope this recognition will call attention to the value of glass container recycling and ultimately help us reach the goal of using 50 percent recycled glass in the manufacture of new containers by the end of 2013."
KÀ Theatre finds sustainable solution to 20-ton problem
Energy Division helps resort recycle 6,000 gallons of hydraulic oil
MGM GRAND – When he needs an oil change, Mark Castle can’t just go to the 10-minute oil change place on the corner.
The KÀ Theatre, where Mr. Castle is the Head of Automations, uses 6,000 gallons – more than 20 tons – of vegetable-based hydraulic oil to maneuver the show’s massive stage, which is capable of rotating 360 degrees and standing vertically. Earlier this month, as part of routine maintenance, the system needed a complete oil change.
The KÀ stage hydraulic system is comparable in
size to those used in industrial mining operations
and hydroelectric dams.
"The hydraulic oil had reached the end of its life span, and it was time to do it. It was the first time we've had to do it since the show opened five years ago," Mr. Castle said.
Buying new oil wasn’t a problem, but getting rid of the old oil was a potentially expensive proposition.
"I started looking into different options to get rid of it. The manufacturer wouldn’t take it back," Mr. Castle said. "There were companies that would come and take it, but you had to pay a fee."
Mr. Castle reached out to the MGM MIRAGE Energy and Environmental Services Division (EESD), which helps the properties incorporate green practices into everyday operations.
"I got involved because I have experience with helping the properties find ways to recycle their used cooking oil," said Brad Tomm, EESD Energy Analyst. "Sustainable best practices, including recycling, are not only the right things to do; they also save our Company money. The KÀ Theatre team had a very limited timeframe to work with, and they were looking for someone to take the used oil away for free."
Mr. Tomm ultimately coordinated with Reno Drain Oil Service to haul away the used oil at no cost. Calvin Carter, who led the project for Reno Drain Oil Service, compared the size of the KÀ stage hydraulic system to those used in industrial mining operations and hydroelectric dams. His company will process the used oil into industrial heating oil.
"It will be used to fire industrial kilns, cook asphalt, things of that nature," he said. "Every barrel of oil that’s recycled is a barrel that’s not imported."
