The Founders Inn and Spa is a Virginia Green certified lodging facility. Virginia Green Lodging is a voluntary program lead by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. This is an initiative to promote pollution prevention practices in the hospitality and lodging sector. Virginia Green Lodging encourages hotels, resorts, bed and breakfasts and inns, cabin operations, and other lodging facilities to be aware of their impact on the environment and to take steps to reduce these impacts. 

We will accomplish this goal by adhering to the following sustainability initiatives:

• We allow our guests an opportunity to recycle during their stay. The following items are collected in pre-function space, meeting space, offices, and all back of house spaces:
• Glass
• Steel Cans
• Aluminum Cans
• Plastic
• Office Paper
• Cardboard
• In our restaurants, Cooking Grease is removed and recycled
• Our building features reused building materials (vintage flooring, beams)
• We recycle the fluids in our vehicles
• Mercury is captured from proper disposal of fluorescent lamps

Waste Reduction

Conference Facilities and Restaurants

• We use dishware and glassware to minimize the use of disposables
• Effective food inventory management is practiced to minimize waste
• The use of water pitchers is offered to minimize use of single- use bottles
• When available, we purchase locally grown produce and food

Guestrooms

• Optional free papers (not delivered automatically to the room)
• Provides optional linen service in rooms
• Linen segregation for lightly soiled loads

Office and Purchasing

• Purchase recycled-content paper-towels
• Purchase of coreless toilet paper 
• 2-sided copies/printing
• Use electronic correspondence and forms
• Purchase of durable equipment and furniture
• Purchase recycled content paper
• EnergyStar computers

Maintenance

• Latex Paint is used in our buildings
• We use environmentally- friendly housekeeping products
• Integrated pest management plan is in place
• Drain plugs are in maintenance shop to prevent spill discharge into the sewer
• We practice an effective system of hazardous waste storage through labeling and handling
• We are eliminating the use of aerosols

Energy Conservation

• High efficiency HVAC using natural gas and centrifugal chillers with individual thermostats
• Our lights are being replaced by high efficiency compact fluorescent lighting
• We use an Ice Storage System to cool the main building
• Automatic Light Sensors are placed in our Conference Center

Water Conservation

• Preventative maintenance of drips and leaks
• Well water used for irrigation
• Reuse of cooling tower waters
• Re-circulating dishwashers
• Low Flow Restrictors on toilets
• Effective Landscaping Management Plan in place on 26-acre site

Green Meetings

The Founders Inn and Spa is committed to becoming as environmentally friendly as possible. With that said, we encourage our clients to consider green alternatives for your event as your efforts are an important component in achieving this goal.

Please consider the following suggestions before, during, and after your event:

Before Your Event

• Conference information should be provided electronically via e-mail or Internet site.
• Avoid direct mail campaigns for marketing your event.
• All Printed Materials should be on Recycled-Content Paper that contains at least 30% post consumer material and is not chlorine bleached. Double-side copying is a must!
• Provide accurate attendance numbers to your service providers. This will reduce food and other conference wastes.
• Encourage attendees to use Electronic registration and check-out, which can be provided by the hotel. This saves paper and energy.
• Reduce transportation requirements by using The Founders Inn and Spa Shuttle for airport transportation and off-site activities associated with the conference.
• Green the Exhibitors and Vendors. Encourage vendors to stay with the green theme and to minimize wasteful giveaways wherever possible.
• Ask speakers to use an overhead or slide projector to present material instead of using a flip-chart or hand-outs. Remind speakers when they are booked that many handouts end up in the waste stream.
• Utilize reusable crates or cartons when transporting supplies to reduce packaging materials.
• Make promotional banners and wall posters that are non-dated, so they can be reused in the future.
• Green Energy. Consider purchasing “Green Tags” or “Renewable Energy Certificates” to offset the additional costs of using energy from renewable sources to power your conference.
• Decide if an additional hauler needs to be contacted to recycle any materials the facility does not. If so, contact local haulers to determine who will best fit your needs for recycling and composting and the allowable levels of contamination for both.
• Talk the Green Talk . Let your participants know that you have made an effort to minimize the environmental impacts of your event.

 During Your Event

• Ensure that the Banquet Staff is properly trained to recycle all recyclable materials from your event.  
• Ensure that the Recycling Areas are well marked and displayed throughout the facility and are easily accessible.
• No Styrofoam! Request the use of coffee mugs, but otherwise use paper or biodegradable materials for disposable cups and take-out containers.
• Ensure reusable dishes, silverware, and napkins are provided for conference participants.  
• Avoid use of boxed lunches to reduce generation of waste materials.
• Provide water and other beverages in pitchers or other bulk dispensers.
• Consider purchasing Recyclable Name Tags. These are available through your Founders Inn and Spa Conference Planning Manager.

After Your Event

• Assess program and identify potential improvements and suggestions.
• Provide conference proceedings electronically via e-mail, Internet site or on CD-ROM.

HOMETOWN HOSPITALITY INITITIAVES

Presented through C.O.R.E. and Human Resources