Published on June 5, 2018
Shaw Centre prides itself in its commitment to offer businesses, visitors and staff members an environmentally friendly and green facility. Sustainable operations are a commitment made by the facility as one of its key design principles which is greatly appreciated by our clients. We also believe in giving back to the community – and encourage those who gather here in Ottawa’s premier meeting and event venue to join with us in doing just that.
TOOLS PUT IN PLACE TO MEASURE AN EVENT’S CARBON FOOTPRINT:
We have tools in place to measure your event’s carbon footprint, allowing you to understand the true cost of your event, at a very detailed level. For example, we can weigh cardboard used, calculate waste generated, measure water, electricity and energy consumption and more.
ORCA
While we attempt to produce as little food waste as possible, Shaw Centre’s kitchen also relies on its onsite ORCA, a state of the art machine that can digest up to 600 pounds (275 kilograms) of food scraps per day. Within 24 hours, the ORCA turns kitchen by-products into environmentally safe grey water, diverting tons of material each month from methane-producing composting or landfill sites.
DITCHING PLASTIC BOTTLES FOR FILTERED WATER
Plastic water bottles are an unnecessary addition to the waste stream and add cost to your event. An easy way to reduce waste is to eliminate single use disposable water bottles. Shaw Centre puts in place filtered water dispensaries along with cornhusk cups which are bio-degradable in all boardrooms and meeting space throughout the facility for you and your guests use.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAMS
We offer three flexible CSR programs that enable our clients to have a positive impact with minimal effort. Make sure you ask your Shaw Centre event planner how you can take part in them.
MEALSHARE
Your Event Can Help End Childhood Hunger
Mealshare is a national non-profit organization that believes every child has a right to food. Managing partners Andrew Hall and Jeremy Bryant, established Mealshare in 2013 with a long-term goal: to one day be able to explain to their grandchildren that there used to be hungry children in the world.
At Shaw Centre, we are happy to extend the opportunity for you to partner with this incredible organization in the fight to end youth hunger.
You are invited to donate a lump sum (at your discretion), which will be used to feed youth in need and help to expand this growing initiative.
In turn, Shaw Centre will create marketing collateral for your event, announcing exact number of meals that your company’s generous donation has provided on behalf of your guests via Mealshare.
TABLÉE DES CHEFS
Recovering Surplus Food for People in Need
Shaw Centre is an active participant in Tablée des Chefs, a 15-year-old non-profit Sustainable Food Brokerage Service that gets surplus food – from hotels, restaurants and institutions – to people in need.
By subscribing to the Sustainable Food Brokerage Service, donating establishments like Shaw Centre must establish a food recovery process that is safe and sustainable. They also actively contribute to reduce food waste by establishing good practices.
Our partnership with this service provides our clients with the option of recovering food surplus at the conclusion of their event and donating it to people in need in our community via the Shepherds of Good Hope.
LEAVE A LEGACY
Paying It Forward With What’s Left Behind
Shaw Centre clients are doing good by donating left-over goods to the local Ottawa community with volunteer assistance from Shaw Centre colleagues.
Our Leave a Legacy Program is a flexible and easy way for clients to leave a lasting community heritage from their Shaw Centre event.
Ask us about how our volunteer colleagues can help you identify opportunities to donate anything left over – non-perishable food, obsolete marketing collateral, promotional items, furniture, displays, carpets, or anything else – from your event or organization that could help those in need in our community. We’ll look after all the arrangements to ensure your donation goes where it can make a difference.
