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Sustainability

At the Baltimore Convention Center we are committed to building and implementing an innovative environmental management system that sustains the needs of our daily operations and also serves to educate and benefit our staff, industry partners and clientele on the importance of carbon footprint reduction.

We have concentrated our sustainability efforts into three basic areas: Energy Efficiency, Waste Reduction, & Environmental Design.

Certifications

The Baltimore Convention Center has achieved 3^rd party certification of the ASTM/APEX Standards, as a Meeting Venue. This certification requires the qualification of a number of specifications within eight different environmental impact areas. These 8 areas are:

Staff Management and Environmental Policy
Communication
Waste Management
Energy
Air quality
Water
Procurement
Community Partners

This certification helps create a more sustainable events industry and provides a measurable standard that the Baltimore Conventional Center follows. In addition, Visit Baltimore has completed the Standards, which makes Baltimore one of only four cities that have both a Meeting Venue and Destination certified.

The Buzz at The BCC

The Baltimore Convention Center has teamed up with Urban Beekeeping Company, Alveole to install two beehives on the Center’s roof. This organization’s mission is to reconnect cities across the globe with sustainable programs such as beekeeping and educational environmental trainings. Since 2013 Alveole has connected over 100,000 people with bees creating opportunities for education as well as opportunities to increase pollinators in urban areas leading to a healthier greener environment.

In the fall of 2022, two professional beekeepers were assigned to our facility for installment and maintenance visits. They brought over 70,000 bees and placed bee hotels on the roof on the east side of the building. Both beehives further the Center's mission of creating a more sustainable environment and bring many benefits including:

• Education highlighting the importance of this species and all pollinators

• More pollinators growing the city’s ecosystem

• Honey for our catered meals

• A repurpose of our unused space

Since the installment of our colonies, the seasons have changed meaning beekeeping season has been undergoing hibernation. The Center is getting close to beginning beekeeping season and is excited for all the buzz. To stay updated with the BCC's Beehive click below!

Energy Efficiency

The importance of energy efficiency is paramount for our ability to stay competitive in the industry by satisfying the client’s requirement to produce greener meetings. In addition, the use of energy management systems such as lighting and motion sensors, allows the Center to better manage operating costs. The energy performance contract with Constellation Energy is designed to reduce the our overall energy usage by 21%.

The video above highlights the energy performance agreement that the BCC has entered into with Constellation Energy. The improvements from this agreement has resulted in a 23% overall reduction in electricity usage.

Waste Reduction

The Baltimore Convention Center tackles waste reduction through a variety of avenues which include Single Stream, Scrap Metal, Pallet, and Cardboard Recycling.

A highlight of our program is Diversion by Donation, which includes donating nearly any usable item, ranging from furniture to registration bags, to positively impact local organizations in the Baltimore community. We frequently work with a variety of organizations to make a positive impact in our region. In 2018, we donated 75,000+ pounds of food to the Maryland Food Bank and 48,000+ pounds of items to other local partners.

The video above highlights the BCC's journey into a dedicated Food Waste Reduction program that began in the summer of 2018. During its first six months, this program resulted in the donation of 4,400+ pounds of usable food donated to a local farm, where it was used for animal feed. We also focus on overall food waste reduction, composting, oil recycling, and the utilization of environmentally friendly materials such as compostable serviceware.

Environmental Design

The Baltimore Convention Center’s design plays an integral role in contributing to the Center’s sustainability Initiatives. August of 2010, marked the completion of our 27,000 square foot green roof, a unique outdoor space designed with sustainable principles in mind.

Inside the facility, our sustainable aesthetic can be seen in the construction of our lobbies with floor to ceiling glass windows that not only provides a beautiful view of our surrounding area, but also showcases the use of natural light to illuminate the common areas of the building.

Convention Center Sustainability Reports & Policy

2022 Social Responsibility & Sustainability Recap

2019 BCC Food Waste Reduction Case Study

2019 Sustainability Report

2018 Sustainability Report

2017 Sustainability Report

2015-2016 Sustainability Report

BCC Environmental Policy