The Baltimore Convention Center has prevented 319,928 plastic water bottles from entering landfills since 2021.
That’s according to a report that the Baltimore venue released Tuesday, outlining the convention center’s environmental and sustainability efforts to divert waste from dumps through recycling materials and donating or composting food waste.
This year alone, the convention center has prevented 52,413 plastic water bottles from entering landfills.
The Baltimore Convention Center aimed to divert 35% of waste from landfills in 2024, but it surpassed that goal by diverting 51.31% of waste last year.
Of the waste created by the BCC’s events in 2024 — including food as well as materials like wooden pallets, corrugated cardboard, and scrap metal — 303.15 tons out of 590.81 tons were redirected from landfills.
The Diversion by Donation program, a plan created by the BCC to give waste meant for landfills back to the community, supplied 95.27 tons of furniture and other waste to non-profit organizations and reuse programs.
The BCC’s 2024 sustainability report also outlined its progress with water conservation, efficient energy use and utilizing local resources to minimize its carbon footprint. Sustainability, a way of using resources to help the needs of society without contributing to global warming and climate change, is a major goal of the BCC.
To work towards these goals, the center currently sources 60% of its ingredients from regional businesses to the benefit of 18 small businesses.
Through the Alvéole Bee Program, a bee-keeping initiative supporting sustainability by supporting local pollinators and creating environmental awareness, the convention center housed over 40,000 honeybees.
“Our 2024 sustainability outcomes are a testament to our unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship and innovation,” said Mac Campbell, executive director of the BCC.
The center’s Green Team helped it earn silver-level certification under the Events Industry Council sustainable events standards, a standard for organizations achieving sustainability and social responsibility. A silver-level certification is the second tier in the standards and shows that the BCC has met 65% of the EIC’s criteria of sustainability.
“We are committed to pushing these initiatives even further and have set our sights on achieving a higher certification level in 2025,” said Tyler DeBella, director of operations for the Green Team.
The BCC will continue to integrate technology such as energy monitoring systems to further enhance water conservation and its relationships with local sustainability organizations.
