Walking the Talk; What We’re Doing to Make it Green

St. Julien Hotel & Spa Environmental Commitment -The St. Julien Hotel & Spa is committed to doing its part to minimize the impact of the Hotel and its guests on the environment.  The St. Julien realizes that the decisions it makes as an organization affect not just the environment of the Hotel, but also that of the community.  As such the St. Julien recognizes its need to constantly be aware of how it is affecting the world around it. For more information about the greening of St. Julien Hotel & Spa, click here.


Energy Offsetting - The LOHAS Forum again is engaging attendees to take responsibility for their global warming impact from energy use by working with NativeEnergy to help offset carbon emissions. Venue energy and some hotel energy emissions were already being offset by LOHAS, and attendees could opt-in to offset air/car travel emissions during registration.  Offset purchases help fund new Native American-owned and operated wind turbines and new family dairy farm-owned methane energy projects that LOHAS attendees actually played a role in getting built!  For more information about carbon offsetting click here.


Waste Streams

Sponsor Waste - We required sponsors to market themselves in ways that did not use minimal disposables and plastics, sweatshop labor, virgin tree-paper or excessive packaging.  

Volunteer Education – Volunteers were trained in waste reduction practices and assisted with peopling the Resource Recovery Stations.

Food and Product Donations - Reusable food and remaining product samples leftover from LOHAS were donated to local food banks and homeless shelters.

Printing - We utilized soft copy (where possible) rather than printed material to communicate with forum participants. When items were printed, we printed on tree-free or recycled papers and plant-based, non-toxic inks. From badges and brochures to letterhead and envelopes, LOHAS is a tree-friendly event. Vendors and Sponsors were required to do the same. 

Education & Outreach

Waste Reduction Education – Ensured that minimum waste enters the waste stream by emphasizing to attendees, vendors and sponsors the value of reducing and reusing.

Merchandise - Communicated with vendors, sponsors and hotel staff that all merchandise for LOHAS must be created with responsible materials and products and must be manufactured in an environmentally responsible fashion and without the use of sweatshop labor. Local resources were used wherever possible.

Attendee Outreach - All conference attendees were encouraged to participate in this sustainability mission through their actions at the event.

Non-Profit Outreach - Offered a discounted badge rate to non-profit organizations. 

Community Outreach - Developed a program whereby students majoring in business can apply for a limited number of discounted conference badges.


Sustainable Sponsor Guidelines

We required all attendees, vendors and sponsors to adhere to the guidelines that we have identified on this page. This is what we asked from our sponsors:

Aim For 'Zero Waste' - Plan your sponsorship marketing with the waste stream in mind. Sponsor products, displays, promotional handouts, signage and other promotional items should be reusable (or at least recyclable). Please try not to bring more handouts than you will likely need. Please know that any materials not given out during the event will be your responsibility to bring home.
 
Actively Recycle and Compost - Resource Recovery Stations are available on-site for cardboard, paper, glass, aluminum, plastic and compostables (if possible). It is required that vendors identify their discards and make appropriate use of these Resource Recovery Stations.

Choose Sustainable Packaging – If you give out samples, please use the most sustainable packaging available. Please strive to avoid individual packaging whenever possible. When shipping product to the hotel, please use sustainable packaging, such as newspaper filler rather than Styrofoam peanuts.

Use Responsible Products - When choosing what to bring to LOHAS, please keep social and environmental responsibility in mind, and support other companies that also choose responsible business practices. All of our sponsors are expected to use tree-free or recycled paper, rather than virgin. If you are making promotional t-shirts, please support sweatshop-free and organic cotton (or other organic textile) manufacturers.