Facts and Figures

Recycling and Waste Reduction

  • Placed 16 sets of recycling containers in Hotel Lobby, at each elevator landing, and on lodge-side hallways.
  • Between Feb. 2011 and Feb. 2012, prevented the disposal of 14.9 tons or 29,800 lbs. of paper, plastic and glass by placing it in our single stream recycling system.
  • Cardboard recycling between Jan. 2011 and Jan. 2012 totaled 98 tons or 196,000 lbs.
  • Between Feb. 2011 and July 2012, collected and recycled 41 30-yard containers of wood scraps. Each container holds approximately 3-4 tons of materials. The majority of this material has been repurposed in other projects throughout the resort.
  • Collect and store more than 1,000 gallons of motor oil each year from the vehicle maintenance area and use it to fuel heaters in the snowmaking maintenance area.
  • In 2009, 84,650 pounds of plastic, cardboard and paper were recycled.

Energy Conservation

  • Installed the SolarBee solar panel in Lake Tahoe, to help temper the water for more efficient snowmaking.
  • Replaced numerous lighting fixtures and more than 3,000 inefficient T12 fluorescent light bulbs in favor of T5 light bulbs.
  • Converted 3,800+ incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent reducing the average wattage used from 75 to 25.
  • Converted 300 exit signs from 40-watts to 1-watt bulbs.
  • Converted 3,800 incandescent to compact fluorescent lamps,
  • Converted 3,000+ light bulbs/fixtures from T12 to T5
  • Grand Ballroom renovations and new lights fixtures resulted total watts used from12,448w to 2,968 (dif = 9,480W, decreased by factor 4).
  • Main Lodge hallway renovations dropped watts used from 1,536 to 288.

Water Usage

  • By adjusting washing machine cycles, the resort saved 162,546 gallons of water in the between October 2012 and March 2013.
  • Changed 418 showerheads to low-flow models, reducing average flow from five gallons per minute to two and a half.
  • Encourage guests to use towel and washcloths more than once and giving them the option of having their sheets replaced after their stay is compete.
  • Developed a potable water system to recycle water by treating and returning it to drainage areas to recharge the sources.
  • The installation of the showerheads, along with the linen service options and the closed-circuit snowmaking system, allowed Seven Springs to save 3.6 million gallons of water for the year 2008.
  • In conjunction with the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society, constructed a rain garden to allow storm water to soak into the ground instead of flowing into storm drains and ultimately into streams. Runoff causes erosion, pollution, and flooding.
  • Reduced repetitive unnecessary wash cycles, which saved 18 minutes and approximately 75 gallons per load.

Snowmaking and Slope Activities

  • Created a virtually closed loop water system for snowmaking.
    • Captured in a series of collector ponds at the base of the mountain, which are filled from rain, run-off and melting snow
  • Installed energy-efficient, low-emission air compressors
  • Developed snow guns to achieve the most efficient water to air ratio in the industry and significantly lower the need for compressed air.
    • Replaced diesel compressors with energy efficient electric compressors. The old compressors typically used 100,000 gallons of fuel each ski season.
  • Identified areas to run low-energy, gravity-fed snow guns to make snow without operating pumps.

Paper Usage

  • Purchase and support post-consumer products
  • At the golf course and in the ski lodge, meals are served in reusable baskets and recyclable liners.
  • We have also switched to 100% recycled toilet paper and 45% recycled material hand towels in our restrooms throughout the resort.
  • Eliminated the use of Styrofoam products in favor of biodegradable products.
    • Through our aggressive waste reduction plan, Seven Springs prevented the disposal of 1.2 million pieces of Styrofoam. While Styrofoam takes over 100 years to decompose, the new biodegradable containers can decompose to 64% in just 180 days.

No-Power Mountain Adventures

  • Seven Springs lives and breathes the outdoors! We offer endless fun outdoors with no-power activities including the new Laurel Ridgeline Canopy Tour, Screaming Hawk Zipline, summer tubing, the Alpine Slide, hiking and biking in the beautiful Laurel Highlands.

    • The Laurel Ridgeline Canopy Tour, in partnership with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, is not only a world-class zipline, but also an interpretive nature trail, focusing on the beauty and importance of an ecosystem like the Laurel Highlands. Seven Springs already offers a mile and a half interpretive walking trail.

Partnerships

  • Seven Springs is honored to partner with the Breathe Project's efforts to improve the Pittsburgh region's air quality. Year-round the resort is committed to protecting the environment by implementing sustainable practices, promoting personal responsibility and creating adventurous attractions that complement the natural landscape and beauty of the Laurel Highlands.
  • In partnership with Mother Earth News magazine, a sister company of the resort, Seven Springs presents the Mother Earth News Fair. The Fair a fun-filled, family-oriented sustainable lifestyle event featuring dozens of practical, hands-on demonstrations and workshops from the leading authorities on renewable energy, small-scale agriculture, gardening, green building, green transportation and natural health.
  • In the summer of 2012, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, with the support of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, debuted the Laurel Ridgeline Canopy Tours. This world-class canopy tour is a highly-interactive tour that connects riders with nature in an otherwise inaccessible environment. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy protects and restores exceptional places to provide our region with clean waters and healthy forests, wildlife and natural areas for the benefit of present and future generations. Together, we hope canopy tour guests leave their experience with a broader understanding of the intricacies of this ecosystem, its importance and its fragility.
  • Seven Springs Mountain Resort is proud to partner with TheSkiLift.org, the winter sports industry’s largest rideshare website. Together, Seven Springs and TheSkiLift.org are helping skiers and snowboarders meet and travel together to the mountain in an effort to save gas, reduce pollution and congestion and develop friendships.