The Star Sydney among Green Globe Awards finalists

Echo Entertainment Group has been selected as one of 43 finalists in the NSW Government Green Globe Awards — an annual celebration of innovative environmental achievements and resource-saving measures from businesses, government and community groups across NSW.

The nomination as a finalist in the Excellence in Waste and Recycling award category recognises the achievements of Echo Entertainment’s flagship property, The Star Sydney, which has introduced new waste management practices that resulted in over 1866 tonnes of greenhouse gas savings for the financial year 2014–2015 — equivalent to removing 466 cars off the road or planting 6964 trees.

This is in addition to Echo Entertainment-wide initiatives of recycling more than 1382 tonnes of glass since 2010 at The Star; numerous team member training initiatives, including the development of an Environment and Sustainability intranet portal accessed by over 6200 employees; implementation of biodegradable packaging; and the diversion of more than 90 tonnes of food waste from landfill per month.

“Being a finalist in the Green Globe Awards is testament to The Star Sydney’s resolute commitment to energy and waste reduction as part of our five-year Environment and Sustainability Strategy to reduce resource consumption and improve our performance,” said Echo Entertainment Group Manager Sustainability and Environment Amanda Visser.

“The result has seen The Star Sydney, Echo Entertainment’s largest property and responsible for over 50% of total waste created, increase the property’s total recycling rate from 8% in August 2013 to 42% in August 2015. As a result, Echo’s waste target has been achieved ahead of its forecasted figures for 2015.”

Echo Entertainment joins over 40 other finalists across the Green Globe Awards’ 16 categories. Other finalist initiatives have included vital conservation work to protect threatened Australian bird species and their habitats, Australia’s first 6-star Green Star shopping centre and a program to green Sydney via the Green Roofs and Walls program.

Finalists were chosen by an independent panel of environmental experts in the fields of energy, water, waste, sustainability and environmental research and academia. The winners will be announced at the Green Globe Awards Ceremony on 15 October at the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney.