The Adelaide Convention Centre this year celebrates its 21st anniversary by introducing a series of environmentally friendly conference packages as well as a worm farm whose inhabitants will eat through 350 kgs of organic waste each week.

Known as the “organic digester” the solar powered worm farm is able to sustain 800,000 worms whose job will be to dispose of whatever food is left over from the thousands of meals served at the Centre each year. Fertiliser created as a result will be used to sustain the Centre’s drought tolerant garden which will have interpretive signage helping visitors to recreate similar gardens at home.

When built in 1987 this was Australia’s first purpose-built convention centre, and today it has once again taken the lead with the implementation of a Gold Service, Green Attitude philosophy which underpins all operations. Hosting its first Go for Green conference package this month, convention organisers will be able to both reduce and offset carbon emissions caused by their event.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has chosen the package for its National Rural Financial Counselling Conference and will use renewable energy, items such as notepads made from recycled paper and low food mile catering. The Adelaide Convention Centre (ACC) will also donate A$5 for each of the 180 delegates attending to carbon offset plantings in South Australia through Trees for Life's carbon neutral program.

The ACC already recycles 10 cubic metres of paper and composts seven tonnes of food scraps in bio-bins each month. It purchases renewable energy, demands recycled stock for all its print jobs, is developing guidelines to minimise waste at public events and is increasingly requesting that its suppliers have ‘green’ credentials. An Environmental Committee continually looks at ways to minimise waste and ensure best environmental practice throughout the Centre.

Adelaide’s green credentials were further boosted earlier this year with the introduction of the world’s first solar powered electric bus “Tindo”. Tindo, the Kaurna Aboriginal word for ‘sun’, is recharged using solar energy generated by a unique solar photovoltaic system installed on the roof of the new Adelaide Central Bus Station. Tindo is part of the Adelaide Connector Bus fleet that transports commuters, throughout the City and North Adelaide, free of charge.