The Westin New York at Times Square has been awarded Gold Certification by Green Seal, the nation’s premier environmental certification organization and the original “Green Seal of Approval.”
The hotel is only the sixth nationwide to achieve Gold-level Green Seal certification.
“Being an environmentally conscious hotel has been a core part the property’s operation from our inception,” said Westin New York at Times Square General Manager Sean Verney. “We were proud to be the first Silver Green Seal hotel in NYC. We wanted to do more so we created a comprehensive plan to get to the next level. For an 873-room hotel such as ours to achieve Gold recognition from Green Seal is a significant accomplishment that our team is incredibly proud of. We will continue to do all we can to conserve, reuse and support sustainability efforts.”
By achieving Gold, the Westin New York at Times Square has met the most stringent criteria under Green Seal’s Standard for Hotels and Lodging Properties (GS-33). Since 2008 when it achieved the Silver level, the hotel continued to meet additional criteria and is now operating at the top echelon of sustainability.
In addition to significant results in waste minimization, energy and water efficiency, and environmentally sensitive purchasing, the Westin New York at Times Square demonstrated continuous improvements, including:
- Setting energy reduction goals, including specific measurement and monitoring of energy use over time. The hotel plans to have a 30% reduction in energy use per available room by 2020.
- Tracking energy and potable water consumption and waste collected for disposal/incineration and recycling.
- Monitoring water use.
“Being Gold Certified is a landmark achievement,” says Arthur B. Weissman, Ph.D., President and CEO of Green Seal. “The Westin New York at Times Square should be commended for demonstrating such leadership in sustainability in the lodging industry.”
For more information about Green Seal’s Standard for Hotels and Lodging Properties, and information on other standards and the certification process, please visit https://www.greenseal.org/GreenBusiness/Standards.aspx
About Green Seal
Green Seal, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded in 1989 to safeguard the health of people and the planet. Green Seal provides science-based environmental certification standards that are credible, transparent, and essential to helping manufacturers, purchasers, and consumers make responsible choices that positively impact business behavior and improve quality of life. Thousands of products and services in over 390 categories have been certified to meet Green Seal standards. Green Seal provides public education and guidance for creating a more sustainable world. Call (202) 872-6400 for more information, or visit www.GreenSeal.org for links to all Green Seal standards and certified products and services.