On Friday, March 23, New York State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner delivered a proclamation at Saratoga Casino Hotel, commending the casino for recent accomplishments related to environmental stewardship. The 180-acre property spanning from Nelson and Crescent Avenues has enacted a number of environmental initiatives and projects, some behind the scenes and some in plain sight for customers.
At the start of 2017, Saratoga Casino Hotel created a Sustainability Committee comprised of more than a dozen employees representing a variety of departments. Over the past year, the committee enacted a number of environmentally focused initiatives, as well as highlighted significant milestones for guests and employees.
The committee’s most substantial initiative over the past year comes in the form of a significantly increased recycling output. More than a dozen large recycling receptacles have been placed throughout the administration areas of the property, providing employees with an easily identifiable area to dispose of recyclable materials. As a result, recycling output in 2017 increased by 20% while the property’s trash output was down more than 12 metric tons.
Another improvement includes the conversion to LED lighting on over 9,000 lights and fixtures throughout the property. The project, which first began in 2012, will reduce the emitted annual kilowatt hours by an estimated 11%. Once completed, the project will provide significantly improved lighting for guests in the parking lots throughout the property.
“Saratoga Casino Hotel plays an important role in economic development and tourism here in the Saratoga community, and I am proud to recognize the organization’s commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner. “Their large-scale efforts to reduce its environmental impact and use of natural resources are commendable, and I know that they will be greatly appreciated by guests and community members alike.”
The casino’s environmental efforts have also spurred a significant re-investment in Upstate New York’s aging infrastructure. A 20-year agreement with an historic, small hydropower plant in Essex County, NY began in late 2017. As a result, the hydropower plant’s generation offsets a significant portion of the casino’s electricity consumption. Over the next 20 years, annual carbon dioxide emissions from the property will be reduced by over 36,000 tons – the equivalent to planting nearly one million trees.
“Our commitment to these environmentally friendly initiatives is something we strongly value as an organization,” said Alex Tucker, newly appointed General Manager of Saratoga Casino Hotel. “We welcome over 2-million guests annually, so for us to take the time to ensure these initiatives are being achieved is a major undertaking. We thank each and every one of our guests and team members who have helped us along the way.”
Future environmentally-focused plans include applying for the recently created New York Green Business Program enacted by the state, further improving the waste-to-recycling outputs, and offering electric vehicle charging stations on property.
“We’re not done yet,” added Tucker. “Not even close.”
Pictured from left to right: Alex Tucker, General Manager of Saratoga Casino Hotel and Carrie Woerner, New York State Assemblywoman.
