The 2015 UCI Road World Championships Sustainability Report to be released next week by Mayor
Dwight C. Jones shows that the event achieved or exceeded all of its
sustainability goals. A goal was set to divert a minimum of 60 percent of event waste
from going to the landfill, and the efforts undertaken surpassed that goal,
achieving a 76 percent waste diversion rate.
Waste diversion was achieved by
composting food wastes; requiring caterers and vendors to use compostable eating utensils; operating a robust recycling effort that included cardboard, pallets, and
plastic bags; reusing event signage; recovering and donating unused food;
collecting cooking grease to turn into bio-fuel; using water filling stations
and reusable beer cups in lieu of plastic.
An additional goal of offsetting 100 percemt of the greenhouse gas emissions produced from event operations was met. Sources
of emissions included electricity use in the Greater Richmond Convention
Center, fuel use for generators and equipment; propane and cooking fuel for
vendors and caterers; and fuel use for official event vehicles, shuttle buses,
refuse, recycling and compost haulers .The 100 percent offset was attained via
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) provided by the City of Richmond
Sustainability Office through its participation in the Dominion Green Power
Program. Dominion Green Power RECs come from wind, solar and biomass facilities
in the mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions.
“I want to recognize Alicia Zatcoff,
the City of Richmond Sustainability Manager; Tom Griffin, Executive Director of
Virginia Green Travel Alliance, and everyone who worked to make the 2015 UCI
Road World Championships a sustainable event,” said Mayor Jones.
“Sustainability was a significant factor in the success of the event and in
providing athletes and spectators with an overwhelmingly positive experience.This effort also showed how sustainability can enhance tourism and economic
development in our community.”
The 2015 UCI Road World Championships
was the first Road World Championships ever to receive the official UCI
reCycling eco-label. The eco-label recognizes environmentally responsible
cycling events that submit an Environmental Management Plan documenting
intended actions to address transportation, energy and water conservation,
recycling and waste management, accommodations, catering and supplies.
The event was certified as a Virginia
Green Travel Event. The Virginia Green Program is Virginia’s self-certifying
program to encourage green practices in all aspects of its tourism industry
including festivals and sporting events. The program is run through the
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Tourism Corporation,
and the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association.
The World Championships (Worlds) is in the process of
obtaining the Council for Responsible Sport event certification, which is based
on the event’s actual performance in key areas of equity, access, community
impact, and legacy.
“We strategically aligned the focus of
our sustainability activities for the Worlds in four key areas that were
designed to move the city’s broader RVAgreen sustainability initiatives
forward: reduce waste, reduce emissions, be healthy and leave a positive
legacy,” said Alicia Zatcoff, City of Richmond sustainability manager. “As a
result, we not only succeeded in our sustainability efforts for the event but
we also made progress on big picture initiatives that will benefit our
community for many years to come.”
As a result of the sustainability
achievements for the Worlds, the City of Richmond and the Virginia Green Travel
Alliance are developing a Green Event Toolkit to share lessons learned and
provide free resources to enhance the sustainability of future events.
“The Worlds was an opportunity for the
Virginia Green Travel Alliance to help showcase how green an event can actually
be when the proper planning takes place and adequate resources are made
available,” said Tom Griffin, executive director of the Virginia Green Travel
Alliance. “The sustainability accomplishments of the Worlds have set a new
standard for events and festivals in the community and the Green Event Toolkit
will help organizers meet this new standard.”
