Winners of the Ninth Annual RCI Green Awards Program Announced

World leader in external vacation ownership exchange, RCI, has just announced the winners of the ninth annual RCI® Green Awards program. This awards program recognized three resorts within RCI’s network of resorts that are committed to sustainable practices in their day-to-day resort operations.

Third-party eco-certification expert GreenCircle Certified, LLC selected the winners based on their innovations in energy and water conservation, waste management, community outreach, and environmental management.

“At RCI, we place a high value on protecting the environment and communities in which we live and operate—and we encourage our affiliates to do the same,” said Richard Ruff, senior vice president and managing director of RCI North America. “The RCI Green Awards program celebrates resorts that are leading the charge in eco-friendly operations. By investing in sustainable best practices, our affiliates are not only doing what is socially responsible, they’re also setting their properties up with opportunities to reduce energy consumption and increase savings.”

The Platinum RCI Green Award, the highest honor in the program, was presented to The Cliffs at Princeville in Kauai, Hawaii. The Cliffs at Princeville has a comprehensive sustainability program and a sustainability committee that meets quarterly. They also use green cleaning products and solar power for all residential buildings. Each suite features detailed recycling instructions for guests to follow, and they even serve locally grown coffee in their accommodations.

The Gold RCI Green Award went to Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort in Snowbird, Utah for the resort’s “Play Forever” corporate responsibility commitment to help combat climate change and preserve the area’s snowy winters. The resort also tracks energy usage and performance and conducts resort-wide vegetation programs by planting approximately 2,000 native species seedlings every summer. Guests at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort can also utilize the offered electric vehicle charging stations.

WorldMark Indio in Palm Springs, California was the recipient of the Silver RCI Green Award for its tremendous effort to reduce water and energy consumption throughout the resort. They also use numerous eco-friendly solutions, such as including a smart irrigation system, solar panels, and motion-activated lighting in storage rooms.

Learn more about RCI and its thousands of resort affiliates by visiting their website.