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GREEN COLUMBUS
The City of Columbus is working diligently to make sure Columbus is an environmentally-friendly location in which to live and to meet. CONVENTION CENTER AND HOTELS The Greater Columbus Convention Center has recycling programs in place for paper, plastic and cardboard. Recycling bins are placed around the facility for guests to deposit beverage containers. All restrooms have low flush devices and sinks and toilets have automatic on/off sensors. Cloth napkins and tablecloths are used. Left-over food is donated to Second Harvest.

Most Columbus hotels ask guests to help conserve resources by not having linens and towels changed each day, turning off the TV, lights and heating/AC when not in the room. Many hotels use energy efficient light bulbs in public areas. CITY OF COLUMBUS The City of Columbus had enacted a Get Green Columbus initiative that calls for transforming Columbus into a model of conservation and sustainability.

The former Lazarus building in downtown Columbus was recently renovated into a home for the Ohio EPA and various state offices. In doing so, the building is now the largest rehabbed building in the country to get Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification (a national standard established by the U.S. Green Building Council).
  • The 200 energy-efficient windows form a central atrium to provide light for employees
  • A 50,000-gallon tank on the roof and a 40,000-gallon tank in the basement store rainwater and storm water to flush toilets, run through air conditioners and to irrigate a rooftop garden and street-level landscaping.
  • A 15,000-square-foot rooftop garden improves air quality with thousands of plants in 60 varieties.
Other initiatives of the city include:
  • Every new city building construction will meet LEED-certification standards.
  • All city offices are outfitted with a recycling box.
  • Traffic lights are being converted from incandescent bulbs to more efficient light-emitting diodes.
  • The city has an anti-idling policy for its vehicle fleet, equipping them with an automatic shut-off for any vehicle left running in park for more than five minutes.
  • 25% of debris generated at commercial and multifamily demolitions must be recycled.