Center for Meeting and Learning
Green Business Practices at the CENTER
Sustainability is a Core Value of Lane Community College – to "integrate practices that support and improve the health of systems that sustain life."
The Center's commitment to green practices is reflected in part by:
- Involvement in campus-wide sustainability efforts
- Full recycling, composting and use of eco-friendly cleaning supplies
- Efficient energy systems
- Local purchasing with seasonal menu offerings
- Encouragement of "Green" events
Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Programs - Teaching Green Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management students observe Green Principles in action as they gain hands-on experience in the form of required lab hours in the Center. Event revenues from the Center are invested back into education by means of helping to fund a Hospitality Management Faculty position.
Food Donations All leftovers acceptable for human consumption are donated to the Eugene Mission.
Locally Grown On-Campus Ingredients The Learning Garden Coordinator and Banquet Chefs at the Center work together to plan a bountiful harvest from the garden each season. Located a stone's throw from the Center, the Learning Garden supplements the Center's banquet menu all year long with fresh, organic and sustainable produce. Aromatic herb gardens line the walkway directly outside of the Center. The Center's banquet chefs can be seen most any day harvesting fresh herbs that are used exclusively in the Center's Catering Kitchen.
Purchasing and Menu Planning Banquet Chefs at the Center purchase local product whenever appropriate and incorporate organic menu items when possible. The Centers list of local vendors includes Wandering Goat, Charlie's Produce, Lochmead Farms, Spring Valley Dairy, Organically Grown Company, Emerald Valley Produce, Pacific Seafood, Springfield Creamery, Glory Bee, McDonald Wholesale, Childers, Toby's, Bagel Sphere, Country Donuts, Grizzlies Granola, Knee Deep Cattle Company, Wintergreen Farm, Eugene Local Foods Inc. and Long's Meat Market. Center chefs work with local farms to provide fresh, local and seasonal produce through the FoodHub.
CENTER coffee is locally roasted and delivered fresh. Dairy is bottled at the Lochmead Dairy milk and ice cream plant in Junction City. All of the cows in the Lochmead herd were born and raised at Lochmead Farms. All eggs served at the Center are produced from hens that live in a cage-free environment. They come to the Center from Canby, Oregon. The chickens are fed an all vegetarian diet and receive no antibiotics.
Transportation Lane Transit District is a super alternative for bus transport to and from Lane. With many Park & Ride options in Eugene/Springfield, bus routes 81, 82, 85, 92, and 98 drop-off/pick-up passengers within 156 steps of the Center's front door. The Center also has shuttle partners who can customize routes for your group to minimize vehicle travel to and from an event by providing shuttle service from local hotels directly to campus. If your attendees need rental cars, consider Enterprise Rental Car's hybrid fleet at their 6th and Monroe location in downtown Eugene.
Marketing Materials Marketing materials for the Center are produced with the environment in mind. Event note pads are printed on 60# Finest Yet (100% post consumer waste) recycled paper. The Center brochure is printed on 80# Environment which is FSC certified (100% post consumer waste + 100% green energy) recycled paper. Presentation folders are printed on 120# Environment. The Center's pens have a paper barrel made of 100% post consumer material with a wood clip that is 80% post consumer material and 20% recycled material. Sales and Marketing staff direct event planners to the Center's website for complete event information and planning tools, rather than provide printed materials. Customer satisfaction surveys are sent electronically to the client after each event.
Registration Services The Center offers on-line registration technology to event planners as a way to assist in the reduction of event paper trails.
Water Use Center restroom sinks are equipped with motion sensors. Automatic low-flow toilet flush sensors are installed in our 2nd floor restrooms and a request is in to convert our 1st floor restrooms. Center staff minimizes the laundering of linens, reusing linens whenever appropriate. The landscaping that surrounds the Center is planted with native plants and grasses and plants that do not need irrigation once they are established.
Energy Use 10% of Lane's electricity is wind power purchased from the local utility, making Lane one of the utility's largest purchasers. The majority of event rooms at the Center have lights with motion sensors. Staff is trained to turn off lights, computers and equipment while not in use. Lighting, heating and cooling systems are closely monitored based on activity/business in the Center to assure that only occupied areas are lit and temperature controlled.
Disposables to Reusables The Center eliminated the use of disposables, using only china, silverware and glassware on site. For catered events off-site, melamine service ware and stainless utensils are used. For those rare occasions where packaging is a necessity, compostable products are used.
Composting The Center staff began adding to Lane's compost from the event center in April of 2005. The Center composts all preand post-consumer food scraps and coffee grinds.
Recycling No trash can stands alone at the Center. Clearly marked bottles/cans and paper bins are set next to every trash can. The banquet staff is well trained in recycling leftover materials from meetings and events. Lane has reached a 57% recycling rate and it's rising!
Green Events The Center has advanced video conferencing capabilities that can be used for virtual conferencing and satellite conference capabilities, eliminating the need for travel to the primary conference location. For three years, the Center hosted the Oregon Bioneers Conference utilizing satellite conference technology downloaded to various hubs around the world. The Center co-sponsors the Local Food Connection each year; an event linking local Farmers, Fishers and Buyers together to form direct buying relationships. The Center's newest event, "Culinary Team-Building and the Seasonal Garden, IRON CHEF Style" teaches innovative culinary use of local and seasonal products presented in a mystery basket. The Lane Peace Conference, LEED Webcast and the Sustainability Summit are among many other green events successfully hosted at the Center. The Center offers guided nature walks around campus on trails surrounded by mostly native landscape.
Cleaning Supplies Housekeeping staff adopted the use of Sustainable Earth™ cleaning products manufactured by Coastwide Laboratories. Empty cleaning product containers are refilled rather than replaced.
"Hosting a Sustainable Event is a true design challenge - one that the Center for Meeting and Learning is well prepared to meet. Thanks to you, we were able to offer conference attendees a weekend of learning that included gourmet meals prepared with organic ingredients, recycling options and cutting edge programming, live via satellite. The Center demonstrates a commitment to people and to the environment. It's the kind of place I feel good about giving my business."
- S. Aguirre
Bridging Worlds Northwest