Green Building Practices

When you bring your event to the BCEC or to the Hynes, you will enjoy two environmentally-conscious convention centers. We place a great deal of attention on maintaining a clean environment and promoting green practices and recognize the importance of our role in protecting the environment around each convention center and the City of Boston as a whole.

Clean Air

Energy Minimization

Water Conservation

Reducing Waste

Purchasing

Clean Air

• Both convention centers have an urban location, easily accessible to their visitors. The MCCA strongly encourages the use of public transportation and walking. We provide walking maps of the city and promote the pedestrian friendliness of both our convention centers, as Boston is known as "America's Walking City".
• Our cleaning service has replaced 50% of their vacuums with "Hepa" filters that clean dust particles from the air. 

Energy Minimization

• Both convention centers save energy by reducing lights, power, and HVAC use during move-in and move-out in the exhibit halls.
• Sensor-controlled lighting is used throughout the BCEC, in its executive offices, as well as in meeting and conference rooms to turn off lights when not in use.
• The Hynes lighting control systems and lighting fixtures are being replaced with more energy-efficient technology.
• A Dock Door Air Curtain System is being added to the Hynes' loading dock doors to more efficiently heat the loading dock area.
• An Automatic Power Factor Correction System is being installed at the Hynes to improve the efficiency of electrical distribution.
• Insulation around water pipes and water pumps throughout the Hynes are being replaced to provide more energy efficient regulation of water temperature.
• Sensor-controlled hand dryers have been installed in the restrooms at the Hynes.
  

Water Conservation

• Both convention centers offer large, spring water coolers in each meeting room rather than individual bottles, reducing waste.
• Restrooms at the BCEC have low-flow toilets and other water-saving devices.
• A Sidestream Filtration System is being installed at the Hynes to reduce the amount of water needed to remove heat from the building.
  

Reducing Waste

• Both convention centers have a policy in place to reduce and reuse paper, bottles and food products when and where possible.
• New bailers have been installed for recycling at the Hynes.
  

Donations

• All pallets left from events and deliveries are collected, stacked on the loading dock and donated to local organizations.
• Carpet padding left behind from shows is separated and donated to local organizations. If no organization is found, the carpet is shipped to a recycling facility in Framingham, Massachusetts for recycling into cement blocks and asphalt to be used on state highways.
  

Purchasing

• More than 80% of the bathroom suppliers, such as hand towels and toilet paper, are recycled products.
• More than 80% of the cleaning products for carpets, floors, kitchens and bathrooms are environmentally responsible.