Xanterra Parks and Resorts.

Solid Waste

Waste generated by park concessions includes everything from packaging and food reuse to scrap metal and mercury switches. Solid waste is generated not only by Xanterra and its employees, but also by the guests the company serves.

Effective management of waste requires a comprehensive program of awareness, education, action, and commitment to continual improvement. Reducing waste by not generating it in the first place is the primary goal of Xanterra's waste management program.

Xanterra's most significant waste-to-landfill reductions have come from new composting efforts. In the last two years Xanterra has drastically increased its capabilities with functional composting facilities at Zion, Mt. Rushmore, South Rim's Phantom Ranch, and Yellowstone. Through these programs, close to three million pounds of biodegradable waste, which was previously going to a landfill, is now being turned into inert organic matter to be used in gardens. Yellowstone, for example, composts the greatest volumes, now diverting almost 70 percent of its entire solid waste stream, recycling more than 500,000 pounds and composting 2,700,000 pounds in 2006. Yellowstone is unique in that it has access to a large federally owned commercial composting facility. Other Xanterra operations use Earth Tub composters to "digest" up to 70,000 pounds of food and vegetative wastes each year.

Thanks to these composting programs and Xanterra's on-going recycling and waste reduction efforts, the company diverted more than 5.94 million pounds of solid waste in 2006, 38 percent of all waste generated. At Xanterra's national park operations, 51 percent of all solid waste was either recycled, composted, or diverted from the landfill, representing a more than 200 percent increase since 2000 (from 1.87 million pounds to 5.94 million pounds of aluminum, glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, tires, scrap metal, and even manure (from equestrian operations) was recycled, composted, or diverted in 2006). This already exceeds the new Executive Order goal set under the Bush administration.

Waste diverted or recycled per room night (attributed to increased in-room recycling and guest awareness) increased 326 percent from 2000 to 2007. Solid waste generation (recyclables, compostables, and waste to the landfill) has remained somewhat steady.

Waste Reduction and Recycling Practices at Xanterra's National Park Operations

Companywide, Xanterra recycles and diverts more than 25 materials in national parks (5.8 million pounds per year) including:

• Aluminum, tin, steel equipment and scrap metals
• Plastic bottles and containers
• Glass bottles and containers
• Cardboard, paperboard, office paper, magazines, newspaper
• Cooking oil
• Universal wastes, batteries (lead acid, alkaline, NiMH, Lithium), CFL lamps, tires, televisions, CRTs, computer electronics, toner cartridges, chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) materials, mercury thermostats, and used motor oil.