HotelsWaste hauling rates in Las Vegas (and Clark County) are not based on weight or volume as in many other communities, but are based on the size of the container and the frequency of container pick up. Hotels can significantly reduce their waste hauling fees by reducing the volume of waste for disposal.
Many hotels in other regions of the country have comprehensive internal recycling programs that involve both employee and guest participation (Saunders 1995). Recycling in Las Vegas hotels however, is done without most guests or employees ever even knowing. Because the majority of Las Vegas hotels have more than 1000 rooms, internal sorting of garbage and separation of recyclable materials is logistically impractical. Instead, all the recycling takes place at the-back-of-the-house, on the hotel receiving dock. Although a few Las Vegas hotels use their own staff to sort waste and recyclables, the majority pay an outside recycling company to perform this function (contract separation), because few want to invest the extra time, space, employee training and re-training to sort waste and recyclable materials. This allows hotels to focus on guests and hotel operations rather than on additional staff needed to manage waste.
Las Vegas hotels contract (typically with either Waste Management Inc./RC Farms or Silver State Disposal) to have from one to four employees sort garbage on-site. Sorting takes place from eight to twenty-four hours per day, depending on the volume of waste generated by the hotel. Cardboard is baled, and waste is sorted to remove glass, aluminum, and plastic for recycling.
Although fees for this service can run several thousand dollars per month, the cost is more than offset by the reduced waste hauling fees and the value of materials recovered in the sorting process. Harrah's of Las Vegas for example, pays $6,700 per month for a local recycling company to provide round-the-clock waste sorting at the hotel. Waste sorting employees reduce the volume of waste for disposal by removing materials that can be recycled. The reduced volume of waste saves Harrah's nearly $50,000 a year in avoided waste hauling fees.
The Monte Carlo Hotel, which opened in June 1996, has been recycling since before the hotel opened its doors to the public. The 3014 room hotel implemented recycling plans into the hotel's design and operational plan. The Monte Carlo estimates waste hauling costs would be approximately $28,000-$30,000 higher every year if the hotel were not recycling.
Monte Carlo Hotel
A Silver State Disposal employee sorts hotel waste. Glass is separated by color into 32-gallon containers. Container contents are dumped into separate 3-cubic yard dumpsters, one each for clear, brown and green glass. Waste is placed in the orange compactor at the end of the sorting table.
MGM Grand Hotel
Waste sorting table and 32-gallon containers for separating glass by color. Waste that cannot be recycled is placed in the orange compactor at the end of the sorting table.
MGM Grand Hotel
Four 3-cubic yard dumpsters to store glass by color for reecycling. Glass is sorted into 32-gallon containers at the waste sorting table. The containers are wheeled down the plank, and the glass is dumped into the appropriate dumpster for collection.
During the waste sorting process, hotels also reclaim silverware, plates, linens, salt and pepper shakers, and other valuable items that unintentionally end up in the hotel's garbage. The recovery of these assets (typically referred to as "unintended throw-aways") can save a hotel thousands of dollars every month; sometimes as much as the savings on waste hauling fees. Recovered items are inventoried, and returned to the hotel for cleaning and reuse.
MGM Grand Hotel
"Unintended throwaways" recovered from the hotel's waste during the sorting process. Shown are glasses, plates, bowls, and ashtrays. Recovered items are inventoried and returned to the hotel for cleaning and reuse.
One thing that makes recycling in Las Vegas different from other areas in the country is the ability to easily recycle food waste. Waste Management Inc./RC Farms a local pig farm and recycling company, offers an alternative way to deal with food no longer suitable for human consumption. The family business was started thirty years ago by Robert Combs (RC). According to Clint Combs, son and General Manager of Waste Management Inc., thirty tons of food waste is picked up from local hotels and restaurants in Las Vegas every day. Food waste is taken to the pig farm, processed, cooked and fed to the more than 6000 pigs at the farm. Since composting can be difficult in Las Vegas' dry desert climate, the pig farm offers a viable alternative to landfilling a useful resource.
Hotels that contract with Waste Management Inc./RC Farms for their waste sorting and recycling service, have food waste recycling as part of their waste sorting program. This enables them to reduce the volume of waste for disposal further than if only traditional materials such as cardboard, aluminum, glass and plastic were recycled. Hotels that recycle food waste also tend to have the highest recovery of silverware, glasses, plates and other unintended throwaways, as the majority of these items are recovered from the food waste.
Bally's
A Waste Managment Inc./RC Farms employee sorts food waste. Straw wrappers and condiment packets will be removed when the food waste is processed at the pig farm.
Bally's
Close up view of food waste before sorting. A salt/pepper shaker is visible. It is recovered, inventoried, and returned to the hotel for cleaning and reuse.
Bally's
Silverware and plates recovered from the food waste.
The unique nature of recycling in Las Vegas makes it difficult to compare results to hotels in other areas in the United States. With the exception of a few hotels such as Harrah's and the Maxim, most hotels did not begin recycling until recently. Recycling became widely available in the Las Vegas community at large in 1993 when Silver State Disposal began their curb-side residential recycling service. Prior to that time, few local recycling companies had the capital necessary to operate large scale recycling service for the hotels.
Restaurants
Like hotels, many Las Vegas restaurants are also implementing comprehensive recycling programs. In addition to increasing awareness about diminishing landfill space nationwide, restaurants are also finding recycling can mean substantially lower waste hauling fees, as well as savings from the recovery of lost materials. Although the majority of Las Vegas restaurants are able to recycle only cardboard, (due to the limited recycling services available to smaller businesses) many are still able to reduce their waste hauling fees significantly.
Some restaurants, such as Planet Hollywood, and The Country Star, generate such large volumes of waste it is cost effective to operate a full scale waste sorting program like those in place in many of the Las Vegas hotels. Because these restaurants serve several thousand customers on a daily basis, they also generate large volumes of waste. Costs incurred for the waste sorting contracts are more than offset by the savings on waste hauling fees and the value of recovered materials.
COUNTRY STAR RESTAURANT
The Country Star Restaurant is a country themed sit-down restaurant located on the Las Vegas strip. Country Star has had a comprehensive recycling program in place since the restaurant opened in July 1996. The Country Star pays Waste Management Inc./RC Farms to provide sixteen hours of waste sorting at the restaurant every day. Cardboard, plastics, aluminum, and food waste are sorted and separated for recycling.
The Country Star Restaurant has two 3-cubic yard garbage dumpsters, one 3-cubic yard cardboard dumpster, and two 3-cubic yard food waste dumpsters which are picked up seven days per week.Other recyclable materials such as plastic, aluminum, and glass are placed in large plastic bags and are picked up several times per week for recycling.
Although Country Star currently pays an annual cost of $10,247.56 to Silver State Disposal for waste hauling, and pays a fee to Waste Management Inc./RC Farms for waste sorting service; the costs are significantly lower than they would be if no recycling were taking place. In addition to the savings on waste hauling fees (as a result of recycling), County Star also reclaims silverware, plates and other valuable materials in the sorting process that are unintentionally thrown away by restaurant staff.
Country Star Restaurant
A Waste Management Inc./RC Farms employee sorts waste at the Country Star Restaurant. Food waste is placed in the light dumpster. Garbage is placed in the dark green dumpster on the right.
THE HARD ROCK CAFE
The Hard Rock Cafe's recycling program is somewhat unique in that the restaurant employees perform sorting for recycling throughout the course of their work day. Unlike Country Star and Planet Hollywood who pay an outside service to sort their waste, the Hard Rock Cafe has recycling containers located throughout the restaurant and kitchen for separation of materials at the source they are generated from.
Glass, aluminum and plastic are placed in the recycling containers by restaurant staff as tables are cleared and food is prepared. A mixed (color) glass dumpster is provided by Silver State Disposal for the hundreds of beer, wine, and other beverage bottles the cafe generates every day. The 900-1200 pounds of cardboard generated every day by the restaurant and retail shop is taken to the receiving dock where it is baled and held for pick-up by Silver State Disposal for recycling. As part of their agreement with Silver State Disposal (who provides waste sorting service for the Hard Rock Hotel), plastic and aluminum from the cafe are brought to the hotel receiving dock, and are picked up with the hotel's recyclable materials.
Executive Chef Patrick Loughry says the Las Vegas Hard Rock Cafe's recycling program is a success because the materials are sorted throughout the day. "This is much more effective (for us) than trying to sort through all the waste at the end of the day. This way the waste only has to be handled once, saving time and man-hours. It also makes the employees part of the process, and makes them feel like they have a direct impact on the success of our recycling program." Participation in the recycling program is expected of all Hard Rock Cafe employees. The corporate commitment to recycling is evident in the company's "Save the Planet" slogan and logo.
Because The Hard Rock Cafe diverts nearly 75% of their waste for recycling, the restaurant has been able to reduce the number of weekly garbage pick-ups from seven to three days per week. Patrick Loughry estimates this saves The Hard Rock Cafe approximately $18,000.00 every year in waste hauling fees.
The Hard Rock Cafe continues to look for ways to reduce waste and improve their recycling program. Although the restaurant is currently unable to recycle food waste due to space constraints, future plans to remodel the receiving dock will allow for additional space for a food waste dumpster. Patrick Loughry is also considering changing to an on-tap beverage dispensing system for beer to reduce the amount of glass the restaurant generates.
PLANET HOLLYWOOD
Planet Hollywood, located in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, has one of the most comprehensive restaurant recycling programs in Las Vegas. In August 1994, Executive Chef Rick Giffen decided to implement a recycling program at the themed restaurant.
When the Forum Shops were built, they were not designed with recycling in mind. Two central compactors were to be used by the more than one hundred shops located in the Forum. For Planet Hollywood to begin recycling, the first step was to have a separate garbage compactor installed on the restaurant's receiving dock. The ability to separately control and monitor its own garbage has been integral to the success of Planet Hollywood's recycling program.
Planet Hollywood serves more than 27,000 meals every week. Every meal prepared and served produces some waste. Because of the tremendous volume of meals the restaurant serves, they generate a significant amount of waste. Rick Giffen estimates approximately 84% of the restaurant's waste is food, so food is one waste source targeted in the recycling program.
Planet Hollywood's recycling program operates in the same fashion as the Las Vegas hotel recycling programs. Waste Management Inc./RC Farms employees, hired by Planet Hollywood, sort through the restaurant's waste, and separate the recyclable materials and food waste from the regular garbage.
Planet Hollywood
A Waste Management Inc./RC Farms employee sorts waste on the restaurant's receiving dock. Clint Combs (left) from Waste Management Inc./RC Farms visits the restaurant to monitor his employees.
During the waste sorting process, silverware, dishes, and other materials (unintentionally thrown away) are recovered and inventoried for the restaurant. The recovery of those goods is valued at $18,000-$24,000 a year. Rick Giffen estimates a 99% return on all items unintentionally thrown in the trash. This recovery would not be possible without the comprehensive sorting that takes place at the restaurant.
In addition to the 16 bales (12,800-14,400 pounds) of cardboard generated by the restaurant and retail store each week, Planet Hollywood also recycles all their, plastic, aluminum and food waste. Since recycling is not logistically possible for other businesses in the Forum Shops due to design constraints, Planet Hollywood welcomes other businesses in the Forum to bring their cardboard to the restaurant receiving dock to be baled and picked up for recycling.
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas
Recyclable materials sorted and ready for pick-up.
Since Planet Hollywood implemented their recycling program in August 1994, they have become a model for other Las Vegas restaurants. The restaurant recycles more than 65% of their total waste. The waste generated at the restaurant has been reduced from 60 tons per week to 20 tons per week. This has enabled Planet Hollywood to reduce the number of times their 17-cubic yard compactor is picked up, from eight times per week to two. This reduction saves the restaurant $40,488 in waste hauling fees every year.
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas
Nearby businesses in the Forum are able to recycle their cardboard by bringing it to Planet Hollywood's receiving dock. There, a Waste Management Inc./RC Farms employee bales it for recycling.