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Breckenridge Grand Vacations Embraces Company-wide Sustainability Efforts: From banners to luggage tags!

Breckenridge Grand Vacations (BGV) is dedicated to sustainable efforts and best practices to minimize impact on the local mountain environment where we play and live. One of the ways we do that is through reducing the amount of waste we send to the landfill, which sometimes takes some creativity!

In early 2020 when we rebranded and implemented a new logo, we were faced with a pile of vinyl banners that were destined for the landfill. With a current goal of increasing our waste diversion by 5% every year, our Sustainability Department researched alternatives, so the banners didn’t go to waste. Throughout their research, they found Green Guru, a Boulder-based company that uses old outdoor gear such as bike tubes and climbing rope and repurposes them into new outdoor products like bike saddle bags, backpacks, and totes. Green Guru was the perfect solution to our problem, as they would take our banners and turn them into luggage tags.

On a mission to reduce waste outside of our own company operations, the department decided to ask for old banners from organizations throughout the county. We received banners from local nonprofits, government agencies and businesses, collecting a total of 540 square feet of old banners – the size of an average studio apartment!

BGV’s Sustainability Team took a trip to Boulder to tour Green Guru’s facility and drop off the materials to be repurposed. Green Guru worked their magic and turned the banners into 3,000 branded luggage tags! This exciting effort supported our waste diversion goal and kept things Colorado local. These luggage tags will be handed out to owners, guests and employees at company events and trainings.

Just another example of BGV’s commitment to sustainability and the company’s dedicated staff working to “be green” wherever we can.

 

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Recycling Beverage Cartons Made Easy

“It’s no secret that people struggle with recycling correctly. As responsible consumers, we find ourselves trying to do the right thing but sometimes, this leads to “wish-cycling.” Unfortunately, wish-cycling can contaminate entire recycling loads that are otherwise clean. It’s very important that you check local regulations where you live and any time you travel and wish to recycle or compost. Each town has a unique set of requirements for items that are accepted in various waste streams. Here in Summit County and in many vacation destinations, recycling and composting loads become contaminated more easily. Think about it – you have people from all over the world with different waste diversion efforts and requirements coming to a place with a totally different set of rules. It’s extremely important to make sure our signage and other education efforts are up to date and residents and visitors alike are staying informed of changes. Recently, our list of accepted items in the single stream recycling has changed and we are no longer able to put cartons in the single stream collection.  

 

This does not mean egg cartons; but instead, juice and milk cartons. These items are made with paper but have a unique plastic lining inside. Some even contain a layer of aluminum. Because of these two linings, it raises unique challenges for traditional recycling. However, these cartons are still recyclable! They are now collected separately at our recycling drop sites around the county. Be sure to look for the “Cartons” sign on the dumpster! They are then sold to businesses that can properly give them a new life. In fact, once these cartons are sold and pressed together in a machine like a large panini press, they become ceiling tiles or a drywall alternative. The High Country Conservation Center reports that 30 cartons can make a 2-foot square ceiling tile!  

 

When recycling cartons, it’s important to know exactly which types of cartons can be recycled. Cartons with slanted tops like milk, creamers or egg substitutes are recyclable. Cartons that have a flat top like broths, soups or wine are also recyclable. These cartons typically have a straw or plastic cap. Cartons that are not recyclable are oatmeal containers, ice cream tubs or coffee cups. Before disposing of cartons into the proper dumpster, be sure to take off all caps and remove straws as these can get tangled in the recycling equipment. You should also be sure to rinse cartons before recycling.  

 

Should you have any questions on what is and is not accepted in the Single Stream at all BGV properties or at the drop sites around the county, you can visit HighCountryConservation.org or send our team an email at Sustainability@breckgv.com.

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Sustainability and Renewable Energy are important values at Breckenridge Grand Vacations

You may have heard that Xcel, one of the biggest utility companies in the US, has committed to becoming 80% carbon-free by 2030 and 100% by 2050. Xcel is the first major utility company in the United States to make such a commitment!

In the most recent Sustainability Report from the Town of Breckenridge, our community announced their carbon-neutrality goal of being powered by 100% renewable energy by 2035. As BGV works closely with Xcel and the Town, we want to help them get there and have been working with them to do just that. Therefore, we have a goal for BGV to reduce our energy consumption by 3% per year with an overall goal to achieve a 21% reduction in energy consumption by 2030 (2019/2020 baseline).

As Breckenridge Grand Vacations continues to explore exciting renewable energy opportunities for our existing and new buildings, it is equally as important that we continue to make upgrades to our facilities and homes to reduce the overall use of energy. You have the power to help BGV, the Town and Xcel meet their goals by making small changes in your lifestyles or at the workplace.

A good place to start is by simply turning off the TV, lights and ceiling fans or by knocking down the heat when you are not in the room.  Consider replacing bulbs in the home or office. Did you know that replacing a single 60W incandescent bulb with a comparable LED can save more than 1200 kWh over the life of the bulb or about $160?

Among other improvements, each property has upgraded almost all their lighting to LEDs over the course of the past few years. Not including GC8, which was already built as energy efficiently as possible, these efforts have led to about a 16.56% reduction in company-wide electricity consumption from baseline numbers. When combined with our current solar investments – which averages close to 400,000 kWh annually and fully offset electric usage for our corporate offices and the Breck Inn – this has created a good foundation of energy savings to build on.

Along with saving on electricity and sourcing more of our power from renewables, we are using a growing portion of that electricity to power electric vehicles with our 10 EV stations currently online at Grand Colorado on Peak 8, Grand Lodge on Peak 7 and Grand Timber Lodge. And we are about to bring an additional 2 ports online at GL7 and will continue adding EV ports to meet the growing demand.

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