Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Virginia Green
Hotels & Lodging Facilities

Virginia Green
The Inn at Virginia Tech & Skelton Conference Center
Blacksburg, VA

Virginia Green is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s campaign to promote environmentally-friendly practices in all aspects of Virginia’s tourism industry. Virginia Green has established "core activities" specific to each sector of tourism, and these practices are considered the required minimum for participation in the program. However, Virginia Green encourages its participants to reduce their environmental impacts in all aspects of their operations, and this profile provides a full list of all their “green” activities. These are the activities that guests / customers can expect to find when they visit this facility.

The Inn at Virginia Tech & Skelton Conference Center

It's casual elegance and state-of-the-art wireless networks. It's about being on our beautiful campus, but getting away from it all. It's The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center. As the largest hotel and conference center in Blacksburg, Virginia, we offer nearly 24,000 square feet of conference space, including a 700-seat ballroom, 10 dedicated conference rooms, an assembly hall that will accommodate 135, and 147 hotel rooms and suites. This is one of the premier facilities in the mid-Atlantic region. For conferences, events, or leisure, come experience the hospitality, luxury, and latest innovations in beautiful southwest Virginia. The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center is the only hotel located on the campus of Virginia Tech and is the perfect destination to explore all Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia and Montgomery County have to offer.

As a Green Lodging Facility in Blacksburg, Virginia, we are aggressively working to limit our impact on the environment as much as possible. Our team will work diligently to guarantee your meeting is environmentally conscious and we will work with you to ensure all your needs are exceeded. A green meeting can give your group a great reputation, a competitive edge and can ultimately save time and money in the process. We have a Green Committee in place to research and execute ways to improve our practice and facility. Our efforts are highly committed to being environmentally conscious and our team would love the pleasure to work with you to ensure your meeting is friendly to our environment.

For more 'green' specific information : www.innatvirginiatech.com

Virginia Green Activities

This facility pledges that they:
Offer optional linen service
- Have signage in each guest room explaining the linen reuse procedures 
- Change linens only upon request 
- Train housekeeping staff on our process for optional linen service  
- Purchase water- and energy-efficient washers and dryers 
- Use non-phosphate, non-toxic and biodegradable laundry detergents 
- Minimize the use of bleach and chlorinated chemicals 
- Use a service that has environmentally-preferable wet cleaning for dry-clean only items 

Recycle
- Have in place clearly marked recycling bins or provide convenient drop-off locations for guests to recycle: 
- Glass Bottles 
- Plastic Bottles 
- Aluminum cans 
- Steel cans 
- Newspaper 
- Office paper
Other items recycled by the facility: 
- Printer/ copy machine toner cartridges 
- Cardboard 
- Fluorescent lamps 
- Batteries 
- Electronics equipment such as computers, etc. 

Reduce solid waste
- Recycle fryer grease 
- Compost food waste and other compostables 
- Have an effective food inventory control system to minimize waste 
- Use disposable foodservice items that are made from renewable materials (not petroleum-based) 
- Use disposable foodservice items that are made from recycled content 
- Use disposable foodservice items that are recyclable (in your area!) 
- Use and compost disposable containers made of compostable material (corn, bamboo, potato starch, sugarcane, etc.) 
- Use cloth napkins 
- Use bulk soap dispensers in public restrooms 
- Purchase recycled-content paper-towels and toilet paper 
- Remove facility and staff names from junk mail lists when possible 
- Reuse scrap paper for notes 
- Reuse or donate shipping and packing supplies (peanuts, bubble wrap, etc.) 
- Purchase recycled paper with a high-percentage recycled content 
- Make double-sided photocopies and avoid making extra photocopies 
- Use electronic correspondence and forms when possible 
- Use green cleaning products that are dispensed in bulk 
- Use reused building materials or those from sustainable sources 
- Use latex, low or no-VOC paints 
- Properly recycle and/or dispose of thinners and solvents 
- Perform preventative maintenance on all appliances, HVAC systems, plumbing, and vehicles 
- Use integrated pest management (IPM) 
- Minimize use of pesticides and herbicides in landscaping 

Use water efficiently
- Perform preventative maintenance to stop drips and leaks 
- Have installed high efficiency dishwashers 
- Have installed low flow faucets and showerheads (use less than 2.5 gallons per minute) 
- Have installed low flow toilets (use 1.6 gallons per flush or less) 
- Have installed automatic faucets or toilets in public restrooms 
- Have landscaping that utilizes native species 
- Have minimized our lawn area 
- Maintain vegetative buffers around streams and ponds 
- Use a nutrient management plan that minimizes the use of fertilizers 

Conserve energy
- Track overall energy bills 
- Use ENERGY STARs Benchmarking Tools for the Hospitality Industry 
- Have individual thermostats for each room; ensure they are correctly adjusted 
- Have installed ENERGY STAR-rated windows and doors 
- Regularly perform preventative maintenance on HVAC system 
- Have installed a high efficiency HVAC system 
- Keep office doors and windows closed if HVAC system is on 
- Use natural lighting (i.e., open draperies and raise shades whenever adequate light from windows is available) 
- Use occupancy sensors to turn on/off lights 
- Have adopted a policy/practice to turn off lights in unoccupied rooms 
- Have installed high efficiency fluorescent ballasts and lamps (T-5 and T-8) 
- Have installed compact fluorescent light bulbs in all rooms and canned lighting 
- Have installed LED Exit Signs 
- Have adopted a policy/practice to minimize the use of lighting during night cleaning 
- Use ENERGY STAR qualified appliances (commercial kitchens, heating and cooling, consumer electronics) 
- Use ENERGY STAR qualified office equipment (computers, monitors, copiers, printers, etc.) 
- Have adopted a policy/practice to turn off fans, computers, monitors and other devices in unoccupied rooms at the end of the workday or when otherwise not being used 

Offer a green events package
- Include the availability of "green meetings/conferences" in marketing packages (see the factsheet on Environmentally-Responsible Conferences & Events) 

The Inn at Virginia Tech & Skelton Conference Center    The Inn at Virginia Tech & Skelton Conference Center

For more information on The Inn at Virginia Tech & Skelton Conference Center, see www.innatvirginiatech.com or contact Chris Compton at ccompton@vt.edu or 540-231-0151.

For more information on the Virginia Green program, see www.deq.state.va.us/Programs/PollutionPrevention/VirginiaGreen.aspx.

Virginia GreenVirginia Green is a partnership supported by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Hospitality & Tourism Association, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Virginia is for Lovers