Defining Sustainability
John Muir wrote, “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” We believe in the power of our connection to the environment and in our responsibility to protect and preserve it. At Asilomar State Beach & Conference Grounds, we define sustainability as, "The ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Our Efforts
We welcome feedback on any of our sustainability initiatives at Asilomar State Beach & Conference Grounds, or ideas that any guest may have that we may implement. In addition to the items above, external communications to and from our guests is a key component of our sustainability program.
Awards
We are proud to have received the following recognitions:
- Registered National Historic Landmark
- ISO 14001: 2015 Environmental Certification
- “Gold” level TripAdvisor GreenLeader
- Certified Green Business with the Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program
- “Environmentalist Level” California Green Lodging Certification
Food Sourcing
Increasing procurement of local, seasonal and responsibly sourced products.
- Partner with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program and only purchase fish from the green, or occasionally the yellow list.
- Purchase fish from local Monterey Bay sustainable fisheries or from Alaska and British Columbia sustainable sources, reducing the number of miles it must travel.
- Participate in the State of California’s Healthy Foods Initiative.
- Support local producers by attempting to purchase all produce from within a 150-mile radius of Asilomar Conference Grounds.
- Source only RBsT hormone free dairy products and cage-free eggs.
- Menus use certified organic meats, eggs and dairy whenever possible and when it is cost effective.
Efficient Operations
- Controlling our energy usage.
- Utilizing occupancy sensors to control power use
- Converting lighting to LED efficient systems
- Turning off meeting room lights, HVAC, and power when the room is not in use.
Water Conservation
Saving Each Drop
- Providing filtered water in large containers for our conferences and events instead of distributing water bottles.
- Encouraging conference attendees to participate in our Cynergreen partnership, offering stainless steel water bottles for purchase ‘at cost’ with the option of adding meeting specific logos to the bottles.
- Installed 1.6gpm low flow showerheads.
- Offering an ‘opt-out’ linen conservation program.
- Replaced dishwashing equipment with new energy and water efficient machines.
Minimizing Waste
Asilomar was the first commercial compost waste customer to use our regional recycling and composting facility in the Monterey area.
- Not purchasing Styrofoam for food and beverage containers.
- Only purchasing food and beverage disposable containers that meet ASTM D6400 standards for compostability.
- Working with suppliers to minimize all shipping packaging where possible and to utilize bulk containers when feasible.
- Providing collection containers and bins for guests to place compostables and recyclables in.
Transportation And Fuel
Reduce emissions and decrease fuel consumption.
- Supporting local producers through attempting to purchase all produce from within a 150-mile radius of Asilomar Conference Grounds.
- Providing public EV (Electric Vehicle) charging stations on site.