Vancouver Convention Centre Honoured with Recycling Council of BC’s Environmental Award

Vancouver, BC (May 26, 2010) – The Vancouver Convention Centre is the winner of the 2010 Recycling Council of BC’s (RCBC) Environmental Award in the public sector category. The award will be presented tonight at RCBC’s 36th Annual Zero Waste Conference and Gala in Whistler.

“This remarkable facility continues to set new standards for environmental excellence,” said Kevin Krueger, BC Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. “Today’s award is another example of why the Vancouver Convention Centre is considered a model of sustainability and one of the world’s top convention facilities.”

Otherwise known as the MOBI Awards (nicknamed after the mobius loop recycling symbol), the awards recognize the valuable contributions that individuals and organizations make towards the preservation and protection of BC’s environment.

“We are very honoured to be recognized by the Recycling Council of BC,” says Ken Cretney, General Manager, Vancouver Convention Centre. “With our extensive environmental practices and unique sustainable design features and technologies, we are committed to our environmental efforts for the long-term.”

Apart from the Vancouver Convention Centre, other groups will receive the MOBI Award in the following categories: Non-Profit, Youth Recognition, Education, Private Sector, Innovation, and Journalism/Media Excellence.

“I’d like to congratulate our winners,” says the Recycling Council of BC’s Executive Director, Brock Macdonald. “This year’s group truly represents the diversity of people and organizations that are working hard to make zero waste a reality across our province. We’re thrilled to publicly recognize their outstanding efforts.”

Founded in 1974, the RCBC is Canada’s longest-serving recycling council and has earned the reputation of being one of the most widely respected environmental organizations in the province today. RCBC has played a major role in the establishment of the many ground-breaking product stewardship programs in the province, which are emulated around the world.

The only two-time winner of the International Association of Congress Centres’ APEX award for “World’s Best Convention Centre,” the Vancouver Convention Centre opened in July 1987 after originally serving as the Canada Pavilion at the World’s Fair in 1986. Since inception, the facility has demonstrated a constant commitment to service, technical and culinary excellence, as well as environmental sustainability. In fact, the Centre’s West building has received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification, and is the only convention centre in the world awarded the highest level of LEED designation. With its expansion complete, the Centre has tripled its size to cover 1.1 million square feet (or four city blocks) for a combined total of 466,500 square feet of pre-function, meeting, exhibition and ballroom space.

For detailed information about the Vancouver Convention Centre’s sustainable design features and practices, please click here.