The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), owner and producer of the International CES, significantly expanded its recycling and repurposing efforts at the 2012 International CES in Las Vegas, January 10-13, by recycling 75 percent of show materials.
International CES is the world’s largest technology tradeshow, and has been named North America’s Greenest Show by Trade Show Executive Magazine.
This year, CEA collected a record amount of materials to recycle and repurpose:
More than 35,700 square feet, equivalent to 20,000 pounds, of magnetic banners; 28,600 square feet of vinyl banners; 16,000 square feet of other show signs and materials; and for the first time, almost 50,000 pounds of show publications.
“Every year, we work tirelessly to make the International CES even more environmentally sustainable than the year before,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, events and conferences, CEA. “This year, we exceeded years past, increasing the overall reuse and recycle rate to 75 percent of all CES materials.”
By repurposing used vinyl banners from the 2011 International CES, CEA commissioned the creation of 190,000 badge holders for the 2012 show, an unprecedented effort to reuse show materials. Following the 2012 CES, CEA collected 11,000 of those recycled badge holders and will repurpose them for a third life at the 2013 International CES next January.
In addition to the continued greening of the International CES, CEA also supports green nonprofits near the site of the show in Las Vegas. This year, CEA donated $50,000 to Green Chips, a local Las Vegas charity supporting sustainable initiatives including solar panel installations. The donated funds will go toward new solar panels at the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, which serves those in need in Southern Nevada by providing food, clothing, shelter and ongoing services and programs. As Las Vegas has more than 300 days of sunshine a year, these new solar panels are incredibly efficient in reducing the Rescue Mission’s energy bills while using and promoting clean energy.
CEA has also donated $25,000 to Repurpose America, which will take signs and other materials from the 2012 CES to repurpose as new sun shade structures at two local community centers in Las Vegas.
