The Green Scene

50 ways YOU can help make this September's AZA conference the greenest ever.

This September, we'll be gathering in Portland, the greenest city in the nation! AZA and the Oregon Zoo are working hard to incorporate as many sustainable practices as possible for this year's event, but it's up to all conference attendees and exhibitors to help make this the greenest conference ever. Here's how you can do your part:

When you register:

1. REGISTER online.
2. Consider signing up for some vegetarian meals.
3. Help offset your conference-related carbon footprint. Funds from the carbon offset offered on the registration form will help restore habitat on a stream six miles from the Oregon Zoo. MORE INFORMATION
4. Confirm your badge information by e-mail.
5. Save your confirmation as a .pdf, not a printed piece of paper.

Making your travel arrangements:

6. Reserve your tickets online.
7. Try the train. Rail travel is much less polluting than travel by car or plane.

When you pack:

8. Use reusable coffee mugs and/or water bottles throughout your trip instead of disposable cups and bottles.
9. If you were at last year's conference and still have your name badge holder, bring it and reuse it.
10. Bring toiletries from home rather than using the little plastic bottles in your hotel room.

11. Pack light. Heavy bags burn more airline fuel.
12. Use rechargeable batteries in electronic items you bring.
13. If you are taking photos, take them digitally and avoid disposable cameras.
14. Bring a few "repurposed" plastic or wax paper bags, which are handy for saving treats.

In Portland, you can even be green in your sleep. Both the Doubletree Hotel Portland and the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower are Green Seal Certified and proud of their contributions to sustainability.  These hotels are actively working to reduce waste and recycle, conserve water and energy, and reduce their carbon footprint. For more information on about Doubletree Hotel Portland and its sustainability program visit www.doubletreegreen.com. To learn more about what Hilton Portland is doing to stay green visit http://www1.hilton.com and click on Green Seal Certified.

In your hotel:

15. Get more light by opening your curtains.
16. When you leave your room, turn off lights and electric devices.
17. Tell hotel staff you don't need your linens changed every day.
18. Save paper and energy with electronic ticketing, registration and checkout.
19. Instead of taking promotional rack cards, visit Web sites of attractions that interest you.
20. Check out your hotel's recycling program and sort accordingly. In Portland, you can assume that almost everything you want to throw away in your room can go in the in-room recycling bin, but read the instructions.
21. Save water with short showers and by turning off the water when you brush your teeth, just like you do at home.

At the conference:

22. Take the time to notice and thank exhibitors who are minimizing waste. Ask about how they incorporate sustainability into their booths and businesses.
23. Attend sessions on sustainable operations.
24. Take your reusable coffee mug when you visit coffee vendors. They'll often give you a discount for doing so.
25. If you're not hungry, please say so. Any un-served food will be donated to a local shelter. Still, if you eat only half your meal, the rest will be composted.

26. Enjoy break-time snacks that don't need to be plated. 
27. Be on the lookout for recycling areas for cans, plastic bottles, cardboard, office paper located around the convention center.
28. Assume EVERYTHING can be recycled (scrap paper, used batteries, wine corks, plastic bags, etc.) If you don't see a bin for what you need, ask someone.
29. Beam colleages contact information from your PDA instead of giving them a business card.
30. Take advantage of lounge areas and cyber cafés to check e-mail and take a break without traveling to and from hotels.

Getting around Portland:

31. Leave your cab fare at home and get around town like the locals do -- by walking and taking public transit.
32. Take MAX light rail between the airport and your hotel. The station is inside the airport, next to the baggage claim and the fare is only $2.30.
33. Take MAX to and from the conference every day. The convention center is located in Fareless Square, so transportation from the Hilton is FREE. You can just walk to the Conference Center if you are staying at the Doubletree.
34. Instead of printing out directions, have them sent (via MapQuest) to your mobile phone.
35. Visit www.trimet.org for more transportation tips.
36. Feeling adventurous? Rent a bike from one of two bike rental places ... one near the Hilton and one near the convention center.
37. If you must rent a car, ask for a hybrid and invite others along for the ride.

After hours:

38. Savor a meal at one of many Portland restaurants that feature local, sustainably grown food. When dining, you'll not only experience the Northwest’s renowned culinary flavor -- you'll also support the local economy and reduce fuel usage.  Ask at the hospitality desk for recommendations.
39. Don't forget to bring along the plastic or wax paper bags you packed for any leftovers.
40. If you go shopping, use the environmentally friendly delegate bag that you'll receive at registration to tote your purchases back to the hotel.
41. Green shopping experiences abound in Portland -- discover ecological products, locally made goods and thrift stores.
42. Make your trip about experiences, not objects.

If you are speaking or exhibiting:

43. Minimize paper handouts. Instead, give out small cards that point to your Web site. Even better, take part in electronic lead retrieval. Attendees will have a bar code on their registration badges, allowing exhibitors to scan their badge to acquire contact information. This will cut down on all those business cards.
44. Recycle any leftover materials you don't want to take home.
45. Give-aways are great, but make sure they're useful and made to last!

At conference end:

46. Keep your name badge holder and re-use it at next year's conference. Or we'll have a place to turn them back in on the last day so someone else can use them next year.
47. If you used only part of the hotel toiletries, bring the remainder back with you.
48. Take MAX light rail back to the airport.
49. Recycle any papers you don't want to take home.
50. Take home a green idea or two that you can implement at your zoo.