AAGL is committed to environmental sustainability practices within our specialty as featured in this year’s theme: Sustainability in Surgery: Paving the Way Together. Read more about this year’s theme here.
AAGL Sustainability Efforts
- Limiting the number of conference bags for attendees and will not be distributing notebook journals and pens.
- Reusing structures and signage for areas such as posters, expo hall, and throughout the center for repacking and shipping materials.
- Digital signs will be used outside of meeting rooms to display the session name instead of printed foamcore signage.
- E-posters are digital, thereby eliminating the waste that comes from traditional paper posters.
- Implement virtual/online sessions for those unable to attend or travel to the meeting in person.
- To reduce printed materials, AAGL will print a limited number of scientific programs and continue to offer it as an online document.
- Implement meeting app for meeting schedule and information and use digital options for attendee feedback and surveys.
Venue – Music City Center (MCC) Sustainability Efforts
As the host venue for this year’s meeting, the Nashville Music City Center, is committed to environmental sustainability. As an award-winning, LEED Gold Certified facility, they integrate sustainability practices in day-to-day operations through the following initiatives.
- Extensive recycling, donating, and composting of unwanted or unused materials. Paper, plastic, and aluminum are among the list of items recycled daily. Leftover food is donated to local community partners, including Nashville Rescue Mission, while food scraps are composted through a local partnership. Unused event materials are often donated to benefit local organizations.
- Green Roof: The green roof acts as an insulator, reducing the amount of energy needed to heat and cool the facility. Additionally, the roof helps lower urban air temperatures by reducing the “heat island effect,” while also reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The Music City Center green roof is also home to four beehives. Honeybees in the hives produce, on average, more than 100 pounds of honey each year, while also providing vital pollination. The honey is often used in food preparation by our culinary team.
- Low emissivity glass helps insulate the building. High-performance HVAC systems utilize low-velocity fans that reduce both heating and cooling loads.
- Occupancy sensors, photo sensors, and dimmable ballasts, as well as the use of LED lightbulbs, reduce lighting demand. State-of-the-art control systems also assist in maximizing heating, cooling, and lighting efficiency.
- In addition to reducing energy consumption, the facility includes an array of 845 solar panels, which generates as much as 343,000 kWh of renewable energy annually.
Visit the Music City Center website to learn more about their sustainability practices.
Hotels and General Service Contractor
Click on the links below to learn more about sustainability programs the AAGL official hotels and GES – the official general services contractor has implemented to reduce their environmental impact.
Here’s what you can do to reduce your environmental footprint at AAGL23!
- AAGL’s official hotels are conveniently located within walking distance to Music City Center (MCC). To promote sustainability, we encourage attendees to walk to their destination or use other forms of public transport.
- At your hotel, reuse your towels, skip daily housekeeping, and remember to turn off the lights when you leave your hotel room.
- Use recycling bins located throughout the MCC and in hotels to dispose of recyclable materials.
- Exchange contact information with exhibitors using the scan code on your badge, thereby limiting the use of paper business cards.
- Reuse previous AAGL conference materials. Bring a personal bag and notebook for use during the meeting.
- Bring a refillable water bottle to reduce single use plastics.