Program Expands the Dallas Convention Center’s Commitment to Sustainability Through its ‘Good Neighbor’ Initiative
DALLAS, Nov. 20, 2024 – Denali, the nation’s leading and largest recycler of organic materials, today announced a partnership with the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas (KBHCCD) to recycle food waste generated from the hundreds of meetings, concerts, athletic competitions, auto shows and more that it hosts annually.
Managed by Oak View Group, KBHCCD hosts over one million visitors annually producing a significant amount of food waste from such events. Sodexo Live!, KBHCCD’s exclusive food and beverage partner, will take the lead in this collaboration, which will leverage Denali’s innovative depackaging capabilities to efficiently separate plastic, cardboard, and other packaging from food and drinks, to easily recycle food that would otherwise end up in landfills. The resulting clean stream of organics supports the local circular economy by creating compost that nourishes North Texas farms and gardens.
“Working with Denali to recycle leftover food demonstrates our ongoing commitment and sustainable business practices, including waste reduction,” said Chef David Skorka, senior executive chef for Sodexo Live! at KBHCCD. “What makes this partnership so appealing is that the food we cannot donate, and was previously destined for the trash, can now be given a new life that will benefit our community.”
This effort is just one piece of KBHCCD’s greater sustainability efforts and community outreach through its Good Neighbor Program. The Good Neighbor Program matches donations of surplus and unconsumed food that meets all safety standards, as well as exhibit items, with local nonprofits serving unhoused and underprivileged families and children.
The collaboration between Denali and Sodexo Live! will further reduce KBHCCD’s overall waste by recycling food that does not meet consumable safety standards.
“Denali is excited to be part of the KBHCCD’s green initiatives and Good Neighbor program,” said. Nancy St. Pierre, director of communications for Denali. “KBHCCD is already doing impressive work to promote sustainability, but event venues such as hotels, conference centers and sports arenas produce a significant amount of unconsumed food due to factors like high-volume catering and unpredictable attendance. To address this challenge, we’re committed to providing our partners and communities with the technology, expertise and services needed to enhance their sustainability efforts even further.”
KBHCCD leaders said this food recycling initiative will contribute to ongoing efforts to host environmentally friendly meetings and offer sustainable practices whenever possible.
“Our dedication to resource conservation, source reduction, and waste diversion is an integral part of who we are and reflects our ongoing mission to create a more sustainable future,” said Keith Talbert, Oak View Group director of sales and marketing for KBHCCD.
About Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas
Located in the heart of downtown Dallas, the award-winning Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas (KBHCCD) is one of the largest convention centers in the nation. Every year, KBHCCD welcomes over a million visitors attending major national and international conventions, meetings, concerts, athletic competitions, auto shows and more. Managed by Oak View Group, the facility boasts one million square feet of exhibit space, three ballrooms, 88 meeting rooms, a 9,816-seat arena, and a 1,750-seat theater. KBHCCD is also conveniently connected to the Omni Dallas 1,001-room hotel via skybridge and is adjacent to two Vertiport landing pads.
About Denali
Denali is the leading and largest organic recycling company on a mission to replenish the Earth by repurposing waste. Our work is essential to keeping water clean, reducing the need for new landfill capacity, building soil fertility, helping farmers be more resilient, and reducing society’s reliance on fossil fuels. Our services and products touch thousands of acres, hundreds of locales, millions of tons of material, and nearly every person who purchases and consumes food in the US.