Delaware North this year is celebrating the 25th anniversary of GreenPath™, its award-winning environmental stewardship and sustainability program, with programming and events to recall its historic and recent achievements. The celebration begins during Earth month in April, with dozens of Delaware North locations hosting volunteering events to mark the occasion throughout the year.
GreenPath has helped the global hospitality and entertainment company divert thousands of tons of waste from the solid waste stream, save millions of gallons of water, reduce energy consumption, and implement more efficient processes–for everything from food service operations to constructing hotels, restaurants and casinos.
The program’s seeds were planted when Delaware North was selected by the National Park Service for the Yosemite National Park concessions contract in 1993. The company agreed to take on a legacy environmental remediation project, in addition to operating hospitality and visitor services, and subsequently began implementing environmental management practices in its Yosemite operations.
GreenPath is Delaware North’s longstanding commitment to reducing our environmental impact – from the food we serve to the venues we operate to the special places we steward
After then launching its parks and resorts division and winning other national parks contracts, Delaware North formally launched GreenPath in 1999 and soon thereafter became the first hospitality company to have its environmental management system registered to the standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Since then, Delaware North has expanded GreenPath across the company’s diverse global operations at high-profile locations such as professional sports venues, airports, national and state parks, destination restaurants, hotels, resorts and casinos. Today, Delaware North implements GreenPath at more than 200 locations in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
“GreenPath is Delaware North’s longstanding commitment to reducing our environmental impact – from the food we serve to the venues we operate to the special places we steward,” said Debbie Friedel, director of sustainability for Delaware North.
“We work closely with our clients and business partners to strengthen, support and advance sustainability. GreenPath’s 25th anniversary would not be possible without team members in the field who champion this program through sourcing sustainably, operating efficiently, minimizing waste and educating coworkers and guests,” Friedel said.
GreenPath has been recognized by various environmental sustainability organizations, federal, state and local governments, airport authorities, professional sports franchises and hospitality and travel associations. Among the sustainability awards that Delaware North has received:
• National Park Service Environmental Achievement Awards (as a concessionaire at Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Shenandoah and Olympic (Kalaloch Lodge) national parks).
• NASA Sustainability Award for Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which Delaware North operates for NASA.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency award in collaboration with the St. Louis Cardinals for the Busch Stadium food donation program diverting food waste from the landfill.
• National Restaurant Association’s Operator Innovation Award for Sustainability.
• Greening ATL Excellence Award (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport).
• Ohio EPA Encouraging Environmental Excellence Award at The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake, which Delaware North operates for Ashtabula County.
For the 25th anniversary, Delaware North has refreshed the GreenPath logo and redefined its focus under ‘Our Environment,’ one of the company’s three corporate social responsibility pillars, along with ‘Our People’ and ‘Our Communities.’ GreenPath now encompasses five areas of environmental sustainability in Delaware North’s operations:
• Supply chain – Responsibly source products and services.
• Waste – Close the loop and eliminate waste.
• Energy and Emissions – Reduce energy use and source clean power.
• Water – Conserve and protect water resources.
• Built Environment – Design, construct and operate for resiliency.
Delaware North and GreenPath have recent achievements in reducing single-use plastics, recycling, composting, local sourcing of food and beverage products, donating surplus food and other areas. Highlights are available here.
Also, Delaware North recently launched its ‘Bee the Difference’ campaign offering guests specialty cocktails and an educational augmented reality experience to promote awareness of the importance of pollinators. Following the inaugural campaign last year, Delaware North donated $20,000 to The Bee Debbie Friedel Cause Project.
