CEA has announced a total of $75,000 in donations to Green Chips and Repurpose AMERICA, local Las Vegas nonprofit organizations advancing clean energy and minimizing waste.
“CES is committed to sustainability, and we are extremely proud that these donations will help the environment and the Las Vegas community through the efforts of Green Chips and Repurpose AMERICA,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA. “CES is a tremendously successful event thanks to the great people and facilities of Las Vegas, and we’re pleased to make this investment in sustainability to demonstrate our commitment to this great city.”
Green Chips, a local charity supporting sustainable initiatives including solar panel installations, plans to use its $50,000 donation to help retrofit the Las Vegas Rescue Mission for solar panels. With more than 300 days of sunshine per year in Las Vegas, the Rescue Mission’s solar panels will significantly reduce its energy bills while using clean energy.
Last year, with the assistance of a CEA donation, Green Chips helped with a solar panel installation at a local Salvation Army, leading to $7,000 in projected annual energy savings.
“CEA’s generosity in making this award to Green Chips will make a lasting impact on the Las Vegas community for years to come,” said Green Chips chair Cindy Ortega. “The promotion of social, economic and environmental sustainability efforts in Southern Nevada is the primary mission of Green Chips, and it aligns with CEA’s commitment to sustainability. We are honored to again be the recipient of this award, and to help ensure that its positive benefits on the community are maximized.”
In an effort to minimize waste from the 2011 International CES, CEA, Global Experience Specialists (GES) and Repurpose AMERICA collaborated to capture and reuse about 18,000 pounds of magnetic signs, nearly 15,000 square feet of banner signs and more than 150 foam boards (three feet by eight feet). This year at CES, CEA will issue second life badge holders made from repurposed signs from last year’s CES, plus signs from other shows. The badge holders used nearly 24,000 square feet of repurposed vinyl signs. CEA will be working again with Repurpose AMERICA and GES this year to maximize the reuse of show materials. As part of that effort, CEA has granted Repurpose AMERICA $25,000 to take signs and other materials from CES to build shade structures at two local community centers.
“Repurposing signs from the biggest tradeshow in the Americas to help create much-needed shade structures at community institutions is a innovative sustainability solution that CEA and Repurpose AMERICA have pioneered,” said Zach Delbex, CEO of Repurpose AMERICA. “We are proud to continue working with CEA and are honored to accept this donation. It will make a difference in Las Vegas.”
For more information on the sustainability practices of the 2012 International CES go to CESweb.org/green.
