Sands ECO360 | Waste Management and Recycling
We have taken a holistic approach to waste management through developing solutions suitable to our regional operations.
As featured in the 2015 Sands ECO360 Report
Sustainable products and materials
We execute our sustainable procurement strategy at both product and company levels. For products, we have established sustainable requirements for 11 major categories such as office suppliers, light bulbs, cleaning products, and building materials. We measure our purchases and set improvement goals. At a company level, we collaborate with suppliers to learn from their expertise and find sustainable product solutions. In 2015, we held a supplier roundtable in Las Vegas to identify new ways to increase our sustainable food purchases. One idea suggested was the use of “imperfectly delicious produce” – flavorful but cosmetically imperfect fruits and vegetables, which are unsuitable for store displays but entirely acceptable for cooking. We also recognize our vendors with the Sands Supplier Excellence Awards. “Corporate Culture and Sustainability” is one of the seven award categories presented to companies with strong environmental leadership, vision, and strategy.
Input
- Minimization: MinWe reduced our paper use by removing phone books, using electronic documents and signage, and implementing paperless checkout.
Operation
- Upstream sorting: 100 recycling centers have been strategically placed throughout our Macao properties.
- Audit & dock efficiency: we conduct waste audits to identify potential opportunities to improve dock efficiency and the entire waste management process.
- Team Member education: we host annual engagement events (such as the Sands Recycles holiday collection drive).
- Food waste reduction: to prevent food waste, we encourage Team Members to take only what they can eat and adjust banquet food preparation according to the most up-to-date attendee counts. We also stopped buffet serving for internal events.
- Incentive program:in Las Vegas, we offer a profit-sharing program to motivate recycling dock employees to increase the diversion rate.
Output
- Recycling: we strive to recycle as many commodities as we can. In Las Vegas, we operate an on-site sorting facility, while we work with suppliers to maximize off-site sorting in Asia.
- Donation: we donate products of value to organizations in need. In Las Vegas, we launched a prepared-food donation program for unused meals from catered events.
- Reuse: we partner with non-profit organizations to repurpose worn hotel linen into cleaning cloths. This gives vocational training and employment to individuals in our community.
- Food waste: our Las Vegas properties send their food waste to a local pig farm for feedstock. Our properties in Macao, Singapore and Bethlehem utilize digesters to process leftover food into grey water.
