Turning Stone’s Hotel Recycling Program Turns Bath Products Into Soap for Communities in Need

VERONA, NY – In the past year alone, the Oneida Indian Nation recycled more than 7,500 pounds of soap from all 790 hotel rooms at Turning Stone to provide 53,000 sanitarily recycled bars to vulnerable communities around the world affected by humanitarian crises, homelessness, and poverty. Through this innovative recycling program with Clean the World, the Oneida Indian Nation is minimizing its environmental impact and also helping to prevent millions of hygiene-related illnesses and deaths every year. Since the beginning of its partnership with Clean the World, the Oneida Indian Nation has provided nearly a quarter of a million bars of soap to communities in need.

The Oneida Indian Nation also launched a program earlier this year that provides guests of The Lodge at Turning Stone and Skʌ:nʌ́: Spa with unlimited access to more than 7,000 digital newspapers and magazines, significantly reducing the amount of paper being sent to landfills.

Water-Based Cleaning

The Oneida Indian Nation has eliminated nearly all of its daily-use chemical cleaning products at Turning Stone. It now uses natural water-based solutions to clean all public areas throughout the 3,400-acre resort. Using the power of charged water, Orbio’s water power technologies enable cleaning devices and equipment to achieve the same effect, while eliminating the hazards and large environmental footprint of using traditional chemical cleaning products.

Eco-Friendly Golf Courses

The Oneida Indian Nation uses water from its drainage systems and reclaimed city water to irrigate Turning Stone’s award-winning grounds and golf courses.

Shenendoah, Kaluhyat and Atunyote golf courses are also officially certified Signature Sanctuaries by Audubon International for demonstrating continued commitment to the environment. These eco-friendly courses meet extensive standards for protecting water quality and conserving natural resources and were designed to safeguard existing wetlands, native plant life and animal habitats. The grounds are carefully maintained to respect the diverse population of wildlife, including deer, foxes and nearly 100 species of birds.

The Oneida Indian Nation’s Ongoing Green Initiatives:

  • Recycling an average of 310 pounds of shredded paper every day from Turning Stone, and more than 20,000 gallons a year of fat from restaurant fryer oil from Oneida’s restaurants to produce biofuel.
  • Maintaining a comprehensive recycling program that prevents nearly 25,000 pounds of linens, more than 900,000 plastic and glass bottles, and 57 tons of paper from ending up in landfills every year.
  • No longer distributing plastic straws, unless requested by guests, saving the plastic from landfills.
  • Recycling unused heat and steam at Turning Stone with a state-of-the-art turbine engine, providing clean power throughout the resort.
  • Utilizing LED lights and photo sensors that adjust to natural daylight to conserve electricity at Turning Stone.
  • Aligning with vendors who also implement environmentally friendly programs and make an on-going effort to improve local communities.