Pittsburgh's David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the world's largest certified green building and the first of its kind in the world, released highlights of the facility's 2006 green practices in a special report card.

Through green management practices, the Convention Center:

· Recycled 65,480 pounds of paper and cardboard - enough to save more than 557 trees and 229,000 gallons of water;

· Recycled 1,720 pounds of glass, plastic and aluminum-- creating the amount of needed energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for nearly 30 years;

· Reclaimed more than 4.75 million gallons of water through the Convention Center's water treatment facility-- the amount of water saved provides enough water to run 317,000 standard dishwashers;

· Reused approximately 1,500 wooden pallets -- approximately 30,000 pounds of pallets that were sent to a local pallet vendor; and

· The Convention Center's natural ventilation system for 58 event days (representing 33 percent of the Exhibit Hall event days) eliminated the need for artificial heating and cooling of the space

"As the results indicate, there is a significant environmental impact when meeting planners, exhibitors, attendees and the facility's staff pull together to conserve resources," explained Mark Leahy, general manager of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. "In fact, even our service partners are committed to our green practices. Levy Restaurants, our exclusive food service provider, purchases fresh-grown products from local farms including organic items."

According to Leahy, effective green practices are designed to operate smarter and more resourcefully each year.

"Processes change. New technologies create greater efficiencies. Through ongoing research (both our own and that of our service partners) we learn about new opportunities and ultimately purchase smarter,” said Leahy. “For example, Levy Restaurants is now using biodegradable and compostable and disposable materials and utensils. These practices and results are reinforcing the community's belief that greening has a short and long-term positive impact on Pittsburgh and the region."

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center, which opened in 2003, is owned and operated by the Sports and Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County and managed by SMG.

1/5/2007