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We realized at the Outdoor Retailer show how much activity exists in technical advancements and eco-friendly products. These products not only have a place in our store but a place in every individual's life and hopefully independent retailers like us can offer these concepts to the consumer and eventually affect the environment." 
Rhoda Hardy, President - Sand Dollar Lifestyle Stores, Mobile AL

Green Steps Program is a concept that calls out companies adopting green practices in their product, policies and business tactics in and around the outdoor industry. More and more businesses (and consumers) are choosing to do business with environmentally responsible brands, and this is one way to find out who's doing what. The goal for this program is to encourage, step-by-step, the spread of ecologically sound best practices throughout our industry.

Some Green Steps for Outdoor Retailer include:

• Recycled aisle carpet - reused at each Outdoor Retailer show
• Recycled booth carpet - offered to exhibitors in each service manual
• Biodegradable food ware - utensils, plates, napkins, cups, sandwich containers

• Paper badges (recycled paper and soy ink) - Results: Estimated paper/tree savings by using recycled paper for show badges?  68,000 badges ordered which contain 272 lbs of recycled material, this is equivalent to 3.264 Trees

• Renewable energy - We still support 100% wind energy for every show we produce - Results:

Amount of carbon offsets purchased for the OR Show by Green Steps? Total of 739,563 KWHR at Winter (291556 kwhr) & Summer Market (448007 kwhr) 2011.  Overall CO₂ use estimates at the show based on number of attendees or energy use, etc. (i.e. how are offsets determined?)  Offsets are determined from actual energy usage at the SPCC from the prior year.  This is equivalent to:

• Annual greenhouse gas emissions from 102 passenger vehicles

• CO₂ emissions from 59,744 gallons of gasoline consumed

• CO₂ emissions from 1,235 barrels of oil consumed

• CO₂ emissions from 7.1 tanker trucks' worth of gasoline

• CO₂ emissions from the electricity use of 64.5 homes for one year

• CO₂ emissions from the energy use of 45.2 homes for one year

• Carbon sequestered by 13,619 tree seedlings grown for 10 years

• Carbon sequestered annually by 113 acres of pine or fir forests

• Carbon sequestered annually by 5 acres of forest preserved from deforestation

• CO₂ emissions from 22,130 propane cylinders used for home barbeques

• CO₂ emissions from burning 2.8 railcars' worth of coal

• Greenhouse gas emissions avoided by recycling 179 tons of waste instead of sending it to the landfill

• Annual CO₂ emissions of 0.0001 coal fired power plants

• Recycled trash programs - We recycle everything! All cardboard during exhibitor move-in as well as all trash from the show floor is recycled - Results: Estimated pounds or tons (or # of garbage bags) of recycled garbage at the show saved from landfills (glass, paper, plastic, etc.).
  (This is the Summer Market 2010 recycling information only and does not include Winter Market) This is equivalent to:

• Cardboard = 2.26 tons or 4520 lbs
• Mixed recyclables = 0.5 tons or 1000 lbs

• Equivalency Results of Recycling Information Above: 344 gallons of gasoline

• Promotion of Carbon Offset Program - Details for how to get involved below:

CARBON NEUTRAL TRAVEL

If you are traveling to Salt Lake City, offset your carbon footprint with Outdoor Retailer's Carbon Neutral Travel Program. Click on the image below to go to our special Outdoor Retailer page:

As an outdoor business you may already be taking steps that lessen your environmental impacts and reduce your energy and material needs, waste, and carbon emissions. Small steps by many across an entire industry are one way to see noticeable gains in reducing CO₂ over the long run.

Here’s how it works:

Travel to, from, and during Outdoor Retailer produces carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Carbon offsets allow you to ensure that in the future, clean alternative wind energy is produced in lieu of carbon intensive coal fired energy. You are offsetting the carbon that you have already emitted, reducing future carbon emissions, and helping to grow the availability of clean energy by supporting new wind energy projects.

Did You Know?

The Salt Palace lets nothing go to waste. All trash collected under the roof of the Salt Palace is taken to a transfer station and sorted. What this means: Every bag of trash is sorted for recyclables and only solid waste is sent to the dump. Recyclables include; plastic, cardboard, paper and aluminum. You can feel secure in knowing that your trash is being recycled simply by placing it in ANY trash can during the show. What needs special attention is the placement of all biodegradable items food containers and cutlery - into the proper containers so they can be taken to the local compost pile and turned into mulch and fertilizer for local growers.