Be a Green Business Partner

Mary Campbell, 
Extension Director

Becoming a more environmentally- friendly business is a choice that can reap big rewards. Green Business practices can help save money, attract customers, enhance your reputation and help make a business more efficient. A company policy of environmental stewardship or mission that includes sustainable practices will help create the vision. There are three main areas where a business can become more green and sustainable:

• Improve energy efficiency and water conservation
• Changes in work practices 
• Recycling and waste reduction

Improve Energy Efficiency and Water conservation
There are simple ways to conserve energy and water plus save money at the same time. Implement staff guidelines for turning off computers, peripherals, as well as office and meeting room lights. Water conservation in outdoor landscapes can save thousands of gallons of water each year (see Florida Yards and Neighborhoods ).

Changes in Work Practices
To become a green business, employees need to be a part of the practice changes that will make it successful. Creating a green committee that promotes these new practices will be a good start, as well as educational programs for staff. Discussing green purchasing practices, recycling, energy conservation, double- sided copying, reduction of paper use through electronic sharing and other practices will get the team started. Start small and build on these practice changes gradually until they become habits. Develop a staff pledge program and rewards around the new practices.

Recycling and Waste Reduction
Reducing waste in an office can make a positive impact on the bottom line. Get a waste assessment to determine strategies and options from Pinellas County Utilities Solid Waste.

Develop an Action Plan

1. Evaluate environmental programs that fit well with your vision and mission. 
2. Communicate your environmental initiatives to customers and staff. 
3. Report successes and get feedback.

Join Pinellas County Green Business Partnership

SEMINOLE DISCUSSION GROUP ON RECYCLING & SUSTAINABILITY

Monday, March 5, 2012     

10:00 am to noon  

Seminole Community Library Program Room
9200 113th St. N.
Seminole, Florida 33722  

TOPIC: Bio Reactors

SPEAKER: Brooks Stayer, Director, Waste Resource Management, Polk County, Florida

Information: Contact Mary, queenofrecycle@hotmail.com

SEMINOLE DISCUSSION GROUP ON RECYCLING AND SUSTAINABILITY

Monday, Feb. 6, 2012
10:00 a.m. to noon
Seminole Community Library Program Room

9200 113th St. N.
Seminole, Florida 33722

TOPIC: LOCAL FOOD AND AGRICULTURE AS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE OF OUR TIME
SPEAKER: Karen Fraley, Florida West Coast Resource Conservation & Development

This presentation will include information about Native Americans, Florida's first population, and how they used the land for a good life. Current practices of land development will be discussed in relation to its impact on our culture and lifestyle. Finally, there will be a discussion of working food production into our community for healthier people, land, and food. Come with your questions and helpful comments. Bring a friend along, too!

CONTACT: Mary, queenofrecycle@hotmail.com

SEMINOLE DISCUSSION GROUP ON RECYCLING & SUSTAINABILITY

Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012

10:00 am to noon

Seminole Community Library Program Room
9200 113th St. N.
Seminole, Florida  33722

TOPIC: Lake Seminole Projects

SPEAKER: Robert Burnes, Watershed Management Dept. of Environment & Infrastructure Pinellas County

Information: Contact Mary,  queenofrecycle@hotmail.com

Don’t Trash the Holidays!

Guest Post from Pinellas Partners in Recycling

Don’t trash the holidays! Gift wrap, packaging and party goods add up to truckloads of extra garbage. Let the holidays fill your heart and not your trash can with these tips to cut holiday waste.

Toss the tinsel, but not the tree. Make the season green by recycling your Christmas tree. Prepare your tree by removing all decorations including lights, ornaments and tinsel. Find out where to recycle your Christmas tree.

Do You Remember Our Bottle Recycling Days?

Ramona Madhosingh-Hector, Urban Sustainability Agent

You know it’s a throwback to days gone by when we start an article with “remember when” but seriously do you remember when we used to return our bottles for deposit? Our modern, throwaway, convenience culture is accustomed to single-serve beverages like water, soda and sports drinks that come packaged in plastic or glass bottles. This contributes to an increasing waste problem.

Beverage bottle recycling plays an important role in a comprehensive recycling approach that allows us to better manage our waste streams. Plastics make up more than 12% of our recycling stream but overall only 7% of it was recycled when compared to 26% recovery for glass (EPA, 2009). Recycling these beverage containers instead of manufacturing new ones reduces the need for new resource material, cuts back on energy usage, and results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Although curbside recycling is available to some of us in the county and indeed, in our state, not all residents have access to curbside recycling programs. What happens to the bottles that we use while we are away from home? They certainly are not going in the curbside collector! How can we ensure that they are properly recycled? One way to do this is to implement laws that promote and incentivize recycling behavior.

A bottle bill, or container deposit law, requires a refundable deposit on beverage containers to ensure that the containers are returned for recycling. This would include beer, soft drink and other beverage containers. States that have implemented bottle bills report higher recycling rates for beverage containers than states without such programs. Bottle bills standardize a program making the refund the same throughout the state instead of wide variances on a local level. States may use the bottle bill funds to support environmental initiatives to reduce littering and promote environmental conservation.

A bottle bill promotes sustainable consumer practices and in so doing will educate and encourage behavioral changes. Use the resources below to learn more and get involved or to check out if your state has a bottle bill.

Resources:
EPA Municipal Solid Waste Report 2009
Recycling and the bottle bill
EPA facts on recycling glass
The bottle bill
EPA facts on recycling plastic

It’s Easy to Recycle Rechargeable Batteries

By: Greg Plantamura, Energy Efficiency Grant Worker

Rechargeable batteries are a great way to save money and it is easy to recycle them. They are hazardous waste. Do NOT dispose with regular trash! Under Florida law, it is illegal to dispose of nickel-cadmium or small sealed lead acid rechargeable batteries in the trash.

You can drop off old rechargeable batteries for free recycling at businesses in cooperation with Call2Recycle, like Home Depot, Lowe's, Radio Shack, Target, Best Buy, Office Depot, and Staples. You can find a drop-off location near you at Call2Recycle.org.

You can also drop off batteries at a Pinellas County scheduled mobile collection or at the HEC3 facility for recycling. This service is free for Pinellas County residents, and businesses are charged a reduced fee. To prevent short-circuits, please cover terminals with heavy tape or place individual batteries in separate plastic bags.

To learn more about Batteries for Home Electronics, click here to download this pdf fact sheet from the Florida Energy Systems Consortium.

For more options and information on disposal of batteries (and other household items) consult Pinellas County Utilities' A to Z Guide for Recycling & Disposal.

SEMINOLE DISCUSSION GROUP ON RECYCLING & SUSTAINABILITY

Date: Monday, March 7, 2011

Time: 10:00 am to noon

Location: Seminole Community Library Program Room
9200 113th St. N.
Seminole, Florida 33722

Topic: Recycling Styrofoam

Speaker: Bryan Andersen, Pres., EPS Partners

Bryan will discuss how communities can establish a reliable method to recycle or reuse styrofoam products, reduce solid waste, and help green the earth. We will hear about the Louise Graham Regeneration Center, St. Petersburg, Florida and its employment of developmentally disabled adults in the work of styrofoam recycling.

Come join us and bring along a friend!

For information: call Mary, 631-838-2272

Are you an Eco Innovator?

By Guest Blogger:Marissa Segundo, Recycling Coordinator for the City of Largo

Eco-Innovators are challenged to construct useful creations from the contents of their trash can for the City of Largo's 2nd annual Recycled Innovations Contest.This online contest encourages innovators to go beyond recycling by re-purposing their waste.

All entries must be made of 75 percent or more recycled or material that would otherwise be discarded. Contrary to a recycled art show, Recycled Innovations are items that may be reused in daily activities. Accepted entries will be functional items made of materials that can be diverted from the waste stream.

The City of Largo's Recycled Innovation Contest will give participants the opportunity to get their designs noticed across Tampa Bay and beyond. Innovators will be vying for innovative prizes such as solar/wind powered chargers for cell phones, MP3 players and small electronics, environmental board games, and learning toys to name a few.

The winners will be determined by an online voting system where web visitors can select their favorite innovation within each category. Prizes will be awarded to the innovators receiving the most online votes in various age categories: Tiny Innovators, Junior Innovators, Tween Innovators, Techie Teen Innovators, and Macgyvers.

Deadline for entry including photo submission and entry description is Thursday, October 28.

Online voting is November 1-12 on www.LargoRecycles.com website.

The winners will be announced on America Recycles Day, November 15.

Interested innovators can apply online or by calling (727)586-7424 for more information.

Seminole Discussion Group on Recycling and Sustainability

By: Mary Hampton, Guest Blogger

The first monthly meeting of the group is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 4, 2010, 10:00 am to noon.

The guest speaker will be Andy Wolfe, founder, Freedom Farm. Andy has worked for over one year to establish a self-sustaining lifestyle. He converted his private residence to make room for a tilapia pond, ducks, chickens, beehives, and a greenhouse. Come hear about Andy's struggles and accomplishments! There will be some jars of the 'Taste of Freedom' honey available for purchase.

Meetings are held at the Seminole Community Library Program Room, 9200 113th St. N., Seminole, Fl. 33722.

Need more information? Contact Mary at 631-838-2272.

Call for Pinellas Recycles Day Vendors

By: Guest Blogger Jim Chapin, Event Coordinator

Do you or anyone you know create products using recycled materials?

If so, please consider registering to display your creations at the Pinellas Recycles Day event on November 6th. This event is part of the national American Recycles Day program.

Our local event will be held at the Town Square Plaza Park, 5010 - 81st Ave. North in Pinellas Park Florida. The event runs from 9 am till 4 pm. The event will showcase products made from recycled material, what and where residents can recycle, and tips on how to increase your recycling efforts. The event will feature vendors and their products, food vendors, local recycling experts, live entertainment from the "Earthlings", plus free giveaways. The event is free to attend and free to display recycled products.

For more information visit our website www.keeppinellasbeautiful.org once there go to the calender or fill out the vendor registration form.

See you there.

Trash or Treasure?

By; Karen Saley, Extension Specialist

One way to be more sustainable is to recycle, but I’m not talking about only bottles, cans, and newspapers, I’m talking about just about everything you use in your life, household goods, books, kitchen ware, furniture, clothing, sports equipment and more.

At one time shopping at thrift stores and flea markets was considered; well, not very reputable, this is not the case anymore. It’s become all the rage to look for those bargains and save some money, and as an added bonus you get to help save the environment.

If you are of the green persuasion, it only makes sense to recycle as much as possible and take yourself out of the “disposable society” mind set.

So the next time you decide to go shopping consider some of these alternatives:

Thrift stores
Consignment shops
Bartering
Flea markets
Swapping with friends
Pawn shops
Yard sales
Recycle websites
Church Bizarre

Remember the old saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” So here is your opportunity to save yourself a few bucks, help some worthy organizations, and help sustain the environment.

Happy Shopping!

http://www.freecycle.org/
http://www.magicyellow.com/category/Thrift_Shops/Saint_Petersburg_FL.html
http://www.collectors.org/FM/US_FL.asp
http://www.magicyellow.com/category/Pawnbrokers/Saint_Petersburg_FL.html

A Clean Solution

Mary Campbell, Extension Director and Urban Sustainability Agent

This idea was just too good not to pass on. When we think about recycling, it is usually plastic, paper, printer cartridges, or other typical waste. A unique new program recycles partially used soap. An Orlando based non-profit, “Clean the World” is an organization that collects the partially-used soap from hotels to donate to organizations that provide aid to people around the world. Impoverished people die every day from acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease. Each year more than five million lives are lost to these diseases with the majority of deaths being among children less than five years old. Studies have shown that simple hand washing substantially reduces the spread of these diseases. Unfortunately, the essential items for proper hand washing are unobtainable for millions of people worldwide.

In just 13 months, there are over 175 hotels (including Disney World) representing 80,000 hotel rooms in 20 states that have joined Clean the World’s Hospitality Recycling Program. The hotel industry currently throws away over 1.5 million bars of soap every day. The simple hygiene practice of washing one’s hands with plain soap can reduce these deaths significantly. According to clinical studies, the combination of bar soap and proper hygiene education can reduce the effects of acute respiratory illness and diarrheal disease, the number one and number two killers of children worldwide respectively, by up to 65%. Clean the World collects the gently used bar soap and bottled amenity products that are routinely thrown away by hotels and resorts. These products are then sanitized in their Recycling Operations Centers and packaged for distribution to those in need. In Pinellas County, we currently have nine properties committed to this program and Visit St. Pete/Clearwater is organizing more each day.

Resources:

Clean the World
Orlando Sentinel Article
A complete list of participating hotels

Seminole Recycling And Sustainability Discussion Group

This citizen’s group of Seminole is keeping the ball rolling on recycling and sustainability. Their meetings are at the Seminole Community Library, 9200 113th St. N., Seminole, Florida 33772, from 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. Each meeting has a presentation component that is followed by a lively discussion! All are welcome, come alone or bring a neighbor with you!

Saturday, April 17
Program Room C
Two presentations will be featured. Robert Segundo, Permaculture Instructor and Sustainability Consultant, will give a power point presentation. Next, Discussion Group member, Christy Abbott, will show the video, "Fresh", a documentary concerning new ways to grow food locally. Following the presentations, there will be open discussions.

Monday, May 3
Program Room A
Featured is Wayne Hefty, Energy Coach from Pinellas County Schools and Energy Systems Group. TOPIC: Pinellas County Schools Recycling Program. Come and share your thoughts with Wayne and our discussion group members.

Future Meeting Dates: June 7 and September 13

For more information, contact group moderator, Mary DeGeorge-Hampton, (631) 838-2272.

Crying For Digital Discards

by Floyd Egner, Public Relations Specialist, Conservation Resources
Pinellas County Utilities

You’ve probably seen “crying guy” by now, mourning the TV set he loved for so long. It’s the digital age and his dearly discarded TV has taken wing to its final resting place, leaving him with a tear in his eye as he recalls those long hours on the couch with his best buddy.

“Crying guy” is the centerpiece of an advertising campaign by Pinellas County Utilities for its Household Electronics & Chemical Collection Center (HEC3), the “proper disposal” place for all of those analog televisions, outdated computer equipment and obsolete cell phones that contain heavy metals and materials that can be harmful to the environment.

The HEC3 has reported its heaviest traffic ever. Saturday, Jan. 3 set a record with 241 participants, breaking the previous record of 145 participants in one day. The most frequently accessed pages in the online edition of Pinellas County’s “A to Z” Recycling Guide are those concerned with electronics.

Electronics recycling is the hottest topic in the solid waste business these days. With the now-delayed, but still impending conversion to digital television broadcasting, recycling and solid waste programs across the country have reported higher than anticipated turnouts for free electronic recycling programs.

Truckloads of discarded gear – hundreds of tons — have been collected and recycled as many people also are taking advantage of the digital television conversion to get rid of old computer gear they’ve been collecting in attics and basements.

Recent media reports, including a “Sixty Minutes” segment and articles in Wired and National Geographic magazines, have detailed the terrible consequences of improper disposal, particularly in Third World countries. Operations have been exposed in Africa, India and China where practices include burning circuit boards and wiring in open air fires to recover metals. The resulting air pollution is devastating to both the individuals involved and their communities.

To dispose of your unwanted electronics properly, visit Pinellas County’s HEC3 or see the online A to Z Guide for other options.

More information:
HEC3
A to Z Guide for Recycling & Disposal

Green Spring Clean

James Stevenson, Pinellas County Extension Specialist, Urban Sustainability

We are so fortunate in Central Florida to have spring come so early. After a recent spate of chilly weather, I think I’m declaring spring officially here (although it is only mid-February.)

This brings us to an annual tradition: the Spring Clean. This time-honored task involves throwing the windows wide open, airing-out the rugs, and getting rid of all the STUFF that has accumulated for the past 12 months.

Perhaps there are still remnants of holiday gifts with no reasonable place in the home. Perhaps there are replacement objects that have rendered their predecessor irrelevant. It is time to take all the extra STUFF away to be re-used. A spring clean for one can result in a bounty for another; “one man’s trash…”

Of course for usable objects there are “thrift” or “charity” shops. These shops abound in the Bay Area, and are a great way to keep perfectly good items out of the waste stream. The down-side to thrift shops (for me, anyway) is that taking items for drop-off often leads to a bit of un-planned shopping—therefore canceling the “shift-of-stuff” objective of dropping items off in the first place. But never mind that. In many if not all of the cases of thrift shops, the money raised by re-selling used goods goes toward community development projects. Not only are you keeping the landfills clear, you are benefiting the local community—both noteworthy, green practices.

For the broken, worn-out-and-yet-still-salvageable, or the downright toxic, there are the wonderful Pinellas County Utilities programs including the Household Electronics and Chemical Collection Center(*) and local mobile collection(**) events. These offer citizens the opportunity to GET RID OF STUFF easily and conveniently.

Mark your calendar and get busy getting rid of STUFF, and we hope that 2009 will be a year-of-less-accumulation for your and your family. In these times, giving rather than getting are good benchmarks to try to hit.

Sources:

*http://www.pinellascounty.org/utilities/swapshop.htm
**http://www.pinellascounty.org/utilities/mobile.htm

The Green Holiday Table

James Stevenson, Pinellas County Extension Specialist, Urban Sustainability

The Green Guest

Many of us love to entertain during the holidays, and we may all be invited to a soiree or two during the dark months. You can have a green gathering, and be a green guest when making the holidays merry.

If you are throwing a party, get out that china and linen! Paper service may be easy-to-clean, but the next generations will be left to clean-up after our parties if we continue sending holiday plates, bowls and napkins to the landfill.

As with other food choices and purchases, remember fresh and local. Seasonal treats comingle with sweets and Florida-fresh hors d'oeuvre.

Always be prepared for leftovers. Get a supply of reusable plastic containers, and make sure guests leave with a portion of any extra food. In the spirit of giving and reducing holiday waste, these little snack-gifts will help your guests remember a grand time at your party.

Get your guests involved in recycling. Make sure they know where the bins are, for the occasional beverage can, aluminum chocolate-drop wrapper, or bit of holiday paper generated at a party.

If you are the guest, bring gifts in re-usable containers (gift bags or, if you are bringing food, a reusable plastic container or your own dish that you plan on retrieving later.)

Ready, Set, SHOP! Buying Green for the Holidays.

James Stevenson, Pinellas County Extension Specialist, Urban Sustainability

Stop Holiday Waste in its Tracks

From Thanksgiving to New Years Day, household waste increases by more than 25%. Added food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons - it all adds up to an additional 1 million tons a week to our landfills (EPA.)

When making choices this year, consider what you are buying. Look at the amount of packaging, and thin where that extra packaging will end up. Try to purchase a minimum of packaging in all purchases. Enquire if stores will accept the return of packaging materials (especially the foam packing materials.)

Bring those reusable bags with you! If you need a reminder, work them into your holiday decorations: place a colorful and festive reminder next to the door you leave from reminding you to collect the reusable bags before you leave!

Do not take a holiday from recycling this year! Check with your local recycling agency to make sure you know the holiday schedule. Plan a special trip to a drop-off location on one of days early in the new year to get rid of a lot of recycling at once.

Get to Work at Going Green

by Mary Campbell, Pinellas County Extension Director and Urban Sustainability Agent

Here are some simple things you can do to be GREEN at work:

• Print double-sided whenever possible.
  
• Narrow your margins to reduce paper.
  
• Reuse the back of a one-sided document for drafts before you recycle the paper.


• Use reusable mugs and dishes for your drinks and food during the day to reduce waste.


• Ask for and order recycled content office paper, supplies and products. Buying recycled content helps turn recyclables into new products.
  
• Turn off your lights when not in your office.
  
• Turn off your computer screen when you are away from your desk for long periods of time.
  
• Turn off your computer when not in use.
  
• Open window blinds to let in natural sunlight and turn off overhead lights whenever possible.
  
• Turn off vehicles when stopped. Idling vehicles waste energy and cause increased pollution.
  
• Use recycling containers at your desk and in common areas for unsoiled paper, cans and bottles to reduce waste going to the landfill.
  
  Remember to take the At Work Pledge at: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/sustainability/index.shtml

Kick the Bottled Water Habit

Mary Campbell, Pinellas County Extension Director, Urban Sustainability Agent

Bottled water is easy and convenient. The sales of bottled water have grown tremendously is recent years. Each year, people are drinking 30 billion throwaway bottles of water. A large majority of these end up in landfills. But even before they get there, they've taken a toll on the environment from the oil to transport and manufacture to the waste handling.

Is bottled water superior in quality to tap water? The regulations governing the quality of public water supplies are far stricter than those governing bottled-water plants. So why do consumers shun tap water that is low cost and purchase bottled water? If convenience is the answer, then using a reusable bottle can solve that concern. Blind taste tests have actually shown there is little taste difference between some bottled water and tap water.

Do you have to give up your favorite bottled water to go green? Not necessarily. Recycling the plastic bottles is a great step to green up the use of plastic bottles, but there are additional ways you can reduce waste and even save money. Purchase large containers (3- 5 gal.) of bottled water and put into reusable bottles to make it convenient to take with you. A note of caution—although it is tempting, refilling single-serve water bottles with tap water and reusing them repeatedly is not recommended due to potential sanitation concerns. Refilling these water bottles with tap water, without sanitizing the bottles in between can introduce harmful bacteria to the water.

City and state governments are looking at the economics of banning bottled water. Citing environmental concerns, Los Angeles; San Francisco; Ann Arbor, Mich.; and the state of Illinois have banned the use of public funds to purchase bottled water for city and state functions. In June, the US Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution to bring attention to the negative impact of bottled water and promote local sources.

Whatever your choice – go green by recycling, reduce packaging waste and have reusable containers handy. Take our Check Your Green Commitment Pledge and kick the bottled water habit today!

Take the Pledge here