Las Vegas Sands Corp. has kicked off its Sands Eco 360° Global Sustainable Development program, highlighted by the announcement of the Venetian Resort and Sands Expo and Convention center receiving LEED Gold. (In 2008, Palazzo Las Vegas received LEED Silver certification.)
Michael Leven, the company’s president and COO, says Las Vegas Sands saves $4 for every $1 invested in sustainable development. The standards of the program will extend beyond Sin City to other U.S. properties, Macau, and Singapore. Eco 360° comprises four elements: construction and development strategy, operational and maintenance policies, developing vendor partners that comply with the company’s green policies, and employee team members who are equally involved in the program.
Leven says these strategies in Las Vegas alone have saved enough electricity to power more than 6,500 average American homes annually. Other benefits include the saving of nearly 100 million gallons of potable water per year and the recycling of 55 percent of daily trash and 75 percent of food waste. The company also utilizes the largest solar thermal system in the U.S., which provides hot water for pools, spas, and domestic uses. In constructing the Palazzo, the company used steel with 95 percent recycled content and diverted 42,000 tons of refuse from landfills.
