About 500 million straws are used in the United States each day. Because they are small and lightweight, most will not be recycled.
Instead, many of them will end up in the ocean, becoming hazardous for aquatic life. Perhaps you’ve seen the viral 2015 video of a turtle having a straw removed from its nose?
In 2017, Muckleshoot Casino executives made the decision to begin reducing the amount of straws as one of its many sustainability initiatives.
Nearly two years into the initiative, this goal has been achieved. Less straws are being used across the property.
We’re always reminded about making our world more sustainable on days like Earth Day and Arbor Day. But, those actions cannot be practiced solely on one day.
For the past few years, leadership at Muckleshoot Casino have worked to eFor the past few years, leadership at Muckleshoot Casino have worked to ensure sustainability is an everyday practice.
The casino’s Food and Beverage department has been at the forefront of its sustainability push. Beyond straws, they have also taken steps with its cuisine as well.
Prior to its closure, Spice Bay Buffet was the home to one of the big initiatives for sustainability. Guests had been taking a substantial amount of crab just to photograph it for social media.
To curb this, the buffet began offering full-service crab. It was still all-you-can-eat, but it served in smaller portions that would be given to the guests.
Another major change has been switching to locally sourced food products. Seafood, beef, vegetables, and more have all started to arrive from in-state and the surrounding area. Locally sourced products cut down on how much pollution goes into the transport of items.
Even for the items that can’t be locally source, casino executives are keeping a closer eye on the ethics of those providers.
From local vendors to those based in Vietnam and elsewhere, Muckleshoot Casino made it its mission to have all of their food checked on for humane conditions. If it isn’t made with care for the environment and fish, the casino wants no business with it.
Seafood representatives stay in contact with Food and Beverages executives while out abroad, so they know what’s going on when they make deals.
Muckleshoot Casino has also implemented changes in how it handles electricity usage and waste. As a 24/7 establishment, they also receive a large focus.
The conversion to LED lighting led to less bulbs being replaced, and a lot less energy being expended. The lights outside were equipped with photocells so they only activate once darkness comes. Wall switches with motion sensors were installed around the property and finally kept rooms that had no one in them dark.
The LED lighting changes began in 2015. In the first year alone, the program resulted in a decrease of 3.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity usage or enough to power about 325 average U.S. homes for a year. As with most energy-saving endeavors, it also saves money in the long run. It has had the most visible impact so far of implemented actions.
Other changes that have been made include composting initiatives as well as the recycling of cardboard, waste metal, and glass. Customers can even do their part to help the casino by recycling to-go boxes from restaurants.
For over a decade, Muckleshoot Casino has been using to-go boxes created from 100 percent post-consumer waste. Even the plastic bags are around 80 percent post-consumer waste.
If you’re wondering what post-consumer waste is, it’s waste that has been recycled once already after its original use (e.g. paper created from old, recycled magazines.) These items are able to be recycled again, which means less trash in landfills.
In 2017, Muckleshoot Casino sent 150 tons of cardboard and 53 tons of glass to recyclers, while also keeping 220 tons of food waste out of the landfill by composting. Trash output decreased by 191 tons, an 11 percent difference.
A new, more energy efficient dishwasher product was installed at the property in 2018. It’s estimated that there has been a roughly 50 percent reduction in water usage since its installation, which means far less chemicals entering the water.
Knowing that every little bit helps, we placed unique, high-tech WashBars in our newly renovated bathrooms in 2019 with the aim to reduce paper towel usage. Shaped as a blade rather than a traditional faucet, the WashBars dispense soap, water and air all in one location. Easy for guests, and easier on the environment.
Sustainability isn’t something Muckleshoot Casino considers secondary. A lot of companies cite high costs as a reason they won’t commit to it, but in many cases, the opposite is true. Muckleshoot Casino is committed to finding the best way to do it.
Terrence M. Hill 