Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Virginia Green
Hotels & Lodging Facilities

Virginia Green
Hilton Garden Inn Blacksburg
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.

Hilton Garden Inn Blacksburg

The Hilton Garden Inn Blacksburg is a 77,000 sq. ft. facility with 1300 sq. ft. of meeting space and is located adjacent to the beautiful campus of Virginia Tech. We offer convenient access to the Towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg, and the City of Radford, VA. This exquisitely designed property caters to the corporate traveler but is a favorite among leisure guests, as well as sports teams coming to compete in the New River Valley.

We strive to reduce our carbon foot print everyday, and we want inform travelers who are interested in staying at a green facility to come visit us. You won't be disappointed.

We work closely with the local CO-OP in providing the best in local food and drink.

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  
- Track optional linen participation rate 
- 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
- Track overall solid waste costs 
- Have a numeric goal to reduce overall materials that go to the landfill 
- Instruct housekeeping staff to save and reuse unopened items 
- Recycle fryer grease 
- Donate excess food from events 
- 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 cloth napkins 
- Use non-bleached napkins and coffee filters 
- Provide condiments, cream and sugar, etc. in bulk 
- Use water pitchers to minimize the use of single-use bottles 
- 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 
- Install carpet with sustainable or recycled content and low-VOC adhesives 
- Use reused building materials or those from sustainable sources 
- Use latex, low or no-VOC paints 
- Re-use paint thinners 
- 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
- Track overall water usage and wastewater costs 
- Have established a numeric goal to reduce water consumption over time 
- 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) 
- Use microfiber technology mops 
- Have landscaping that utilizes native species 
- Use rain gauges and water meters and only irrigate when necessary 
- Use a nutrient management plan that minimizes the use of fertilizers 

Conserve energy
- Track overall energy bills 
- Have had an energy audit to identify efficiency opportunities within the past 12 months 
- Have established a numeric goal to reduce energy usage over time 
- Calculate the environmental impacts of the facilitys energy usage by using a pollution calculator 
- 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 lighting sensors to turn on/off lights 
- 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 installed directional (downward-facing) lighting in parking areas and other outdoor areas 
- 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 
- Purchase Green Power from utility 
- Are an EPA Green Power Partner 

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

Hilton Garden Inn Blacksburg    Hilton Garden Inn Blacksburg

For more information on Hilton Garden Inn Blacksburg, see www.blacksburg.hgi.com or contact Daniel Edwards at daniel.edwards@hilton.com or 540-552-5005.

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.

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