Xanterra Parks and Resorts.

Hazardous Waste

Xanterra currently recycles all Universal Waste, including electronics (computers, cell phones, CRTs, printers, etc.), batteries (camera, car, household, lead-acid, nickel metal hydride, lithium, and alkaline), pesticides, mercury switches, PCB-containing ballasts, and fluorescent lamps. Xanterra’s goal is to generate zero RCRA-regulated Hazardous Waste. As can be seen in the chart above, it is best that solvents disposal (a RCRA Hazardous Waste) decreases and all the other wastes either remain stable or increase. That indicates the company is capturing those streams and recycling them as they are generated.

Since 2000, for example, fluorescent lamp recycling has continued to increase as the company completes more fluorescent lamp retrofits and as old lamps burn out. Electronics waste recycling also continues to increase as the company gets ahead of new state laws that will require recycling of CRTs and other electronic equipment. Household batteries, mercury switches, and used oil have all remained stable or increased as the company becomes better at capturing and recycling those waste streams.

Finally: Non-Toxic Green Cleaners that Work!

Xanterra has spent years scrupulously fact-checking vendors’ marketing claims of alleged eco-cleaners. In 2006, Xanterra finally identified “green” cleaners that pass our triple test of: cost effectiveness, cleaning effectiveness, and environmental performance. These are Ecolab’s new line of Green Seal certified cleaners. The new line of “green” products are being phased in companywide, but are currently in full use at Yellowstone, Zion, and several other locations.

These cleaners are:

• Non-toxic to humans when diluted for use
• Non-combustible and non-corrosive to the skin and eyes
• Safe for aquatic life when diluted for use
• Made from readily biodegradable ingredients
• Free of chlorine, NPE, EDTA or NTA
• Contain VOC levels under one percent when diluted for use
• Free of known carcinogens and reproductive hazards
• Not petroleum- or hydrocarbon-based
• Without ozone-depleting substances
• Not chlorinated solvents

All are derived from renewable resources, have flammability ratings of zero, are biodegradable and meet California standards for VOCs.

Green Seal certifications place strict requirements for chemistry, packaging, performance, toxicity, and labeling. These cleaners include dish detergent, glass cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, deodorizers, and bathroom cleaners.

Golf Course Audubon Certification Helps Reduce Pesticides

The Furnace Creek Golf Course at Death Valley has achieved designation as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by the Audubon Society. The Furnace Creek Golf Course is the 42nd course in California and the 630th in the world to receive the honor.

To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that it is maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas. These categories include: Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Outreach and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management. One specific example of what makes the Furnace Creek course “green” is a reduction in pesticide usage by 84 percent.

Audubon certification is a perfect fit for a golf course located within a national park. Xanterra is one of only a few National Park Service concessionaires that have a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary within its operations.

Lead-Free Zones Get the Lead Out at Xanterra Marinas

Lead is a known neurotoxin that is ecologically-persistent and, when inadvertently added to the natural environment, can be ingested by birds, fish, and other small vertebrates. It pollutes ground water and is highly dangerous to children. In 2003, Xanterra completely banned all lead-containing lures, weights, lines, and other fishing equipment from its national park marinas.

Green Vehicle Maintenance Prevents Pollution

Maintaining a fleet of several hundred snowmobiles, shuttles, cars, trucks, snowcoaches, tractors, boats, and more can produce significant pollution if not handled properly. Xanterra’s vehicle maintenance facilities employ state-of-the-art environmental practices and technologies that go well beyond compliance, integrating pollution prevention practices that protect water resources and reduce emissions.

For example, at Yellowstone, such practices include:

• Using only non-hazardous, aqueous-based solvents for all parts washing and brake cleaning (almost completely eliminating the hazardous waste stream)
• Burning all used oil for heat recovery in the vehicle maintenance area (eliminating the waste stream)
• Recycling or recapping all old truck tires
• Using only non-chlorinated and refillable spray bottles for brake and carburetor cleaning
• Using brake and clutch materials that are asbestos free

Recycling:

• All ethylene and propylene glycol (antifreezes) on site for repeated use; nontoxic propylene glycol is also replacing ethylene glycol as vehicles receive maintenance
• All chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants (Freon)
• All spent solvents, including 55 gallons of paint solvents in 2001
• All mercury-containing fluorescent lamps (including Phillips GreenTips lamps)
• Roughly eight tons of scrap copper, steel, and aluminum in 2001
• up to 100 used car batteries per year
• all oil filters

National Park System's First Propane Cylinder Recovery Program

Xanterra’s Yellowstone operation, in conjunction with the National Park Service, is the first in the country to develop a propane cylinder recovery program. Aimed at campgrounds that generate thousands of small propane cylinders each season, the program includes custom-made bins placed in campgrounds to collect approximately 3,000 one-pound cans that, in the past, have been sent to landfills. Many of the cylinders contain significant amounts of recoverable gas. The mobile propane bottle recycler (PBR) unit drains discarded propane cylinders into a storage tank and crushes the empty hulks to be recycled as scrap metal. As a closed-loop system, the PBR is powered by recovered propane.