One Million Eco Actions and Counting: Small Acts Bring Big Results

In 2016, Sands ECO360, our global sustainability program, set out to collectively inspire our more than 50,000 global Team Members to make a measurable, demonstrable, positive impact on the environment by carrying out 1 million “Eco Actions” by the end of 2020. Eco Actions are small individual Team Member actions, such as eating more sustainably or building vegetable gardens for local schools that collectively help make the planet a better place. (Read an earlier story about Eco Actions here.) Though we set our sights high, our Team Members exceeded expectations by achieving the goal one year ahead of time.

Each Eco Action helps us work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a blueprint for the planet aimed at achieving a more sustainable future for all. We align our operations with several of the SDGs, including:

• SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production

More information about our support of the SDGs is available in our latest Sands ECO360 Environmental Progress Report.

Along with large-scale, company-wide initiatives, our Team Member-driven Eco Actions improve our sustainable operations and reduce our environmental footprint, as well. Some of those Eco Actions from 2019 include:

• 4,024 Team Members and guests participated in recycling campaigns. At the most recent IMEX America convention at Sands Expo in Las Vegas, nearly 2,600 attendees participated in the Badge Back program, donating their conference lanyards to be reused by a local non-profit, the Teacher Exchange.
• 100,320 hygiene kits built for those in need as part of our annual Clean the World events. Each year, we gather unused suite amenities, including soap, shampoo and other hygiene supplies, and enlist the help of thousands of Team Members, their families and other volunteers from around the world to prepare them to be donated to those in our local communities who may need them, including homeless youth, military veterans and others.
• 98,484 “clean plates” returned at Team Member dining rooms as part of the annual Sands Clean Plate Challenge. During the challenge Team Members learned about hunger and food waste issues and were challenged to take action by returning a clean plate at their end of their meal.
• 3,148 Team Members committed to reducing their environmental footprint by taking part in Green Monday, a movement that encourages people to eat a vegetarian diet one day per week to reduce their overall impact on the environment.

Though we have reached our company goal of 1 million Eco Actions, we continue to engage our Team Members, and continue to document each Eco Action, having reached 1,031,710 Eco Actions so far.

You can read more about this and other Sands ECO360 initiatives in the latest Sands ECO360 Environmental Progress Report.