Global Spectrum , the management company responsible for daily operations at the Duke Cinergy Convention Center was honored recently with the Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District’s Public Recycling Award . “We are honored to have received this award,” said Duke Energy Convention Center General Manager Ric Booth, “we feel that being good environmental stewards by reducing the amount of waste produced by events in the building is simply the right thing to do.” The program began in 2008 when Global Spectrum began recycling cardboard. Cardboard is one of the largest waste materials produced at the Duke Cinergy Convention Center because conventions, trade shows, and other groups ship large quantities of materials to the Center for their events. A cardboard bailer was installed in order to reduce this waste and 163,800 pounds of cardboard have been recycled as a result. The Center’s recycling program was expanded in 2008 with a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. This grant helped purchase 20 recycling bins that were placed throughout the building. Since then, 81,760 pounds of paper plastic and aluminum have been recycled. Global Spectrum staff at the Duke Cinergy Convention Center have also recycled more than 1,000 wooden pallets and all outdated computer equipment is recycled through the Cincinnati Computer Cooperative. In addition to recycling, the Center has undertaken efforts to reduce its energy use. Incandescent light bulbs have been replaced with more efficient compact fluorescent and cold cathode bulbs. This change has resulted in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 154,000 pounds (77 tons) annually. “Stay tuned because we’re just getting started,” said Booth, “there are several other projects such as installing solar panels on the roof that will further reduce energy use and green the building.”