Corporate Social Responsibility
The International Centre is proud to unveil its highly anticipated Sustainable Event Guide. The guide incorporates sustainable principles at all levels of an event's organization and implementation. As the first venue of its size in Ontario to offer a complete guide of this calibre the International Centre's Sustainable Event Guide will assist and engage organizers and members of planning groups in committing to a sustainable event.
Download the Sustainable Event Guide PDF
SUPPORTING Our Community.
ENGAGING Our Employees.
GREENING Our Environment.
The International Centre is committed to becoming a sustainable environment and the leading venue of choice for socially-minded businesses and individuals, by setting high standards of environmental stewardship, employee engagement and community service that also embraces our fiscal responsibilities and increases value for our stakeholders.
We have become a leading venue for sustainable conscious events such as the Canadian Water Summit, Retail Council of Canada, Partners in Project Green, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Eastern Canada Regional User Group (ECRUG) and The Mississauga Food Bank to name a few.
We've taken some important steps towards developing sustainable business practices within our own organization, with suppliers, partners, Clients and within the surrounding community.
Energy
Our energy savings in the last two years is equal to the electricity used by 29 homes for one full year.
- We have reduced our energy consumption by 335,000 kWh retrofitting our light fixtures, increasing our operational efficiencies and monitoring our energy usage.
- We continue to upgrade our lighting systems and anticipate a full lighting retrofit to be complete by 2013.
Water
Our water savings could fill 18 Olympic size swimming pools... and three backyard pools!
- In 2009 and 2010 the International Centre switched to automatic urinal tank flushometers and sensored flushometer systems in the majority of our washrooms which saves approximately 130,000 gallons of water per year.
- We have also upgraded our 40 rooftop HVAC units and will save 11,000,000 gallons of water per year.
Food
Thinking global, acting local. Our kitchen sources local, in-season ingredients for menus of 10 to 2,000 guests.
- Our partners: Partners in Project Green, FoodLand Ontario and 100 Mile Market.
- Over 65% of our wine list is comprised of Ontario produced brands.
- Our kitchen was designed to be energy and water-efficient that saves more than 70% in water and hydro use (comparable to a standard banquet kitchen) via EcoSmart Technology.
Waste
We compost approximately half a tonne of food waste per week and our cooking oil is 100% recycled.
- We offer single-use plates, cutlery, food containers and cups that are compostable, in our retail food concessions.
- We have in place a recycling program to separate plastic, cardboard, paper, aluminium, glass and compostables from waste. 100% of our waste is tracked in effort to identify our areas of weakness in effort to increase our recycling program.
- Our cooking oil is recycled into bio-fuel.
Suppliers
Our napkin choice alone has saved 247 trees, diverted 8,109 lbs of waste from landfills and have emitted 674 lbs less greenhouse gas emissions.
- We are committed to being sustainable and we expect the same from our suppliers, who are routinely audited for environmental purposes.
- In 2010, we have introduced a company-wide green procurement policy.
- Our bathroom paper is Cascades which is a 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
- All of our office paper is 100% recycled and FSC certified.
- Our dispenser napkins are made from 100% recycled material and are Ecologo and Green Seal approved chlorine-free and made with certified renewable energy (wind energy).
Community
Every year, we take part in Earth Hour and continue our tradition of celebrating the earth by planting trees and picking up trash in local parks twice a year.
- The International Centre is the leading force behind the formation of Partners in Project Green's Hospitality Consortium. This group is focused on developing sustainable options for hotels and meeting venues in the Pearson Business Eco-Zone.
- From 2008 to 2010, our involvement with Set Sail for Hope contributed to over a 'whopping' $520,000 that was raised for Camp Trillium.
- We are proud supporters of the Culinary & Hospitality programs at Humber College having donated $25,000 towards their new culinary institute and having mentored 10 interns in the past 2 years, some of whom are now employed by us.
- We give back to our community through charitable donations such as the Credit Valley Hospital, Set Sail for Hope for the Camp Trillium Foundation, Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation, CPB Phoenix Ball Trillium Foundation, Friends of We Care, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Peel, The Mississauga Food Bank, Mon Sheong, The Knight's Table and the United Way.
Employees
The International Centre has recently retained a Manager of Corporate Sustainability and Client Experience Development. We are one of the only venues in Canada to have a full time employee dedicated to sustainability.
- The International Centre has instituted an employee retention and recognition program that rewards outstanding performance every quarter.
- We have developed a CSR Task Force of 25 staff volunteers who meet monthly to design and implement strategic initiatives specific to greening our environment, supporting our community and engaging our employees.
- We engage our employees in team building exercises that support a stronger group dynamic, a positive corporate culture and involve them in stake holder analysis when embarking on company change initiatives.
