By taking steps to reduce waste from our
daily facility operations and actively seeking ways to reduce our carbon
footprint, we can do our part to help preserve the earth’s natural
resources and enhance the quality of lives in our community. ASM Global actively seeks opportunities to minimize our environmental impact. The ASM Global management staff at DeVos Place® believes that
to achieve its goals of becoming the premier venue in Michigan, it must
lead not only economically, but environmentally and socially as well. The company understands that it is in a prominent position to affect
the environment of Michigan. Its objective is not only to sustain the
environment for its descendants, but also to rehabilitate the damage
previously done.
Every effort is made to conserve resources
throughout operations. The purchasing department seeks products and
services of local origin and that are environmentally sound. DeVos Place
Convention Center’s success is monitored on an annual basis with a
commitment to continual improvement. Furthermore, ASM Global strives to meet
or exceed existing environmental laws and regulations, and continually
seeks efficiencies in the day to day operation of the facilities that we
manage.
Maintaining A Recycling Program in the Facility
Simply
put, whatever is recyclable is recycled. ASM Global works with local
companies and the City of Grand Rapids recycling programs to properly
separate and handle all recyclable materials, ensuring reuse as their
final destination. This endeavor extends to not only the ground level,
but also to guests who are provided labeled containers throughout the
facility to dispose of waste in their proper receptacles.
Promoting Near Term Green Energy, Water, Food, Waste and Packaging
ASM Global works with our caterer and other local organizations to sustain a
program utilizing food and facility waste. This practice helps local
farmers enrich the soil while reducing the need for chemical additives,
which enhances local farm equity and product freshness. Additionally,
we insure that our catering partners are adopting environmentally
friendly utensils, serving pieces and packaging made from corn and
potato starch that quickly biodegrade. From concessions to catering,
all packaging and utensils are used with this policy whenever possible.
Local Network of Green Partners/Vendors
ASM Global actively seeks/contracts suppliers and vendors who make green
initiatives a priority in their daily business. These suppliers include
local companies dedicated to environmentally sound practices, as well
as national vendors who have undertaken green/sustainable practices as
an everyday objective.
Promote Sustainable Programs to New and Existing Clients
ASM Global consistently communicates our environmental policies in various ways
(i.e. via electronic newsletters and on our website) to engage all
employees, suppliers, customers, attendees, stakeholders and the media. We also ensure that our staff is informed of the most current event
planning environmental strategies and initiatives.
By
implementation of these environmental policies, we are better able to
serve our customers, while supporting sustainability and enabling cost
reductions in the community that we serve.
ASM Global - Managing Globally - Acting Locally
Current Sustainability Practices at DeVos Place:
- In 2024 new lighting fixtures were installed throughout the facility that increased footcandles and reduced energy usage by 60%
- Reduced
energy costs by installing automated faucets and flushing systems
(reduces water use and energy approx. 40% compared to traditional
fixtures)
- Building has a membrane style roof that is light in color to reflect heat away from building
- Minimizes power usage by using computer controlled lighting and HVAC system
- Uses recycled office products and eliminated desktop printers by utilizing one central printer/copier whenever possible
- Is transitioning to use of green chemicals for cleaning and soap products in restrooms
- Initiated a single-stream recycling program with recycling stations positioned throughout DeVos Place
- Enacted Energy Management Programming in building supports systems
- Enacted Employee Energy Conservation Awareness Program
- Donates computers to non-profit organizations after office updates to reduce waste
- Promotes employee battery recycling with the support of the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation
As
the exclusive food/beverage provider for DeVos Place and DeVos
Performance Hall, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel has also adopted the
following green initiatives:
- Allowing majority of condiments,
beverages, and other food items at buffets and restaurants to be
offered in bulk instead of individually packaged
- Buying food products from local farmers, including free range and organic products
- Offering vegetarian meal selections in all restaurants which consumes less land base and energy to produce
- Recycling
leftover catering meals to “Oscars”, the in-house cafeteria for staff
and donating food to Mel Trotter Ministries, God’s Kitchen, and other
local soup kitchens
- Using locally based company “Spurt
Industries” to process leftover food waste into compost (approx. 18,000
lbs of waste per month gets processed; largest food waste recycler in
downtown Grand Rapids)
- Utilizing reusable cutlery, dishware, and
linens as well as silk centerpieces and soy-based tea lights to prevent
unnecessary waste
Other Sustainable News About Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids national energy ranking improved to 31st nationally in the American Council on an Energy-Efficient Economy's (ACEEE) City Clean Energy Scorecard in 2022.
DeVos
Place Convention Center was awarded Green Venues Michigan Certification
in 2010. Green Venues Michigan is a statewide "green" certification
program for entertainment venues, convention centers, and similar
facilities. It is designed to encourage (and assist) facilities to
adopt cost saving, green practices which conserve natural resources and
prevent pollution. It was created by the Michigan Department of Energy,
Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG) and is administered by the Bureau
of Energy Systems. The Green Venues Michigan program was modeled after
the Green Lodging Michigan program.
DeVos Place finished in second place in the 2nd Annual Michigan Battle of the Buildings Energy Summit in
2016. The Michigan Battle of the Buildings Program is an awards
recognition program that was created with the purpose of reducing energy
use in all Michigan commercial and industrial buildings. The program,
along with partners such as Consumers Energy and DTE Energy, encourages
energy-efficient practices by rewarding building owners and operators
for their forward-thinking energy operations in this free, friendly
competition. The Michigan Battle of the Buildings is the only state-wide
energy competition in the country and Michigan is being recognized on a
national level.
DeVos Place is one of the founding members of the Grand Rapids 2030 District,
which aims to meet the 2030 Challenge that will dramatically reduce
environmental impacts of building construction and operations.
Grand Rapids has been named Green Generation Customer of the Year by Consumers Energy, May 2009.
The
City of Grand Rapids was inducted into the U.S. Environmental
Protections Agency’s Green Power Leadership Club. The induction
recognizes organizations that have significantly exceeded the EPA’s
minimum purchase requirements of green energy, February 2009.
FastCompany,
a national business magazine, has named Grand Rapids "America's
Greenest City," saying the region has more green buildings per capita
than any other U.S. city, October 2008.
Additional Sustainable Meeting Resources can be Found Online at the Following Websites: