What you did this summer and hunting for energy savings

Maryland Department of the Environment sent this bulletin at 09/04/2019 09:34 AM EDT

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MGR news

September 4, 2019
summer vacation

Summer 2019 is winding down, but it turns out to have been a productive one for Maryland Green Registry members who re-energized their environmental commitment by trying new things. Here's what we learned when we reached out to members to find out what they did this summer:

  • Partnered with Neighborhood Sun to start a Community Solar project.
  • Planned a community education event on upcoming environmental issues.
  • Updated their Sustainability Coalition Strategic Dashboard for the upcoming year.
  • Attended various conferences including the Maryland Recycling Network Conference, EcoVadis’ Sustain 2019 conference, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Sustainability and Circular Economy Summit.
  • Revamped their recycling program to generate a higher quality stream through dual stream in areas where paper is generated and single stream plus composting in areas where food waste is generated.
  • Trained a summer intern to audit all waste/recycling stations to make sure they have correct signage and to map them out on floor plans. 
  • Watched environmental films including Our Planet and The Biggest Little Farm.
  • Used sustainable gardening practices at home including lasagna gardening (using layers of cardboard, leaves, sticks to condition the soil), rain collection, natural pest control (ladybugs), companion planting, a solar-powered pond used for watering plants and mosquito control, installation of a mason bee house, and composting through both a tumbler bin and worm composter.
  • Organized a waste audit to evaluate the potential to pursue TRUE Zero Waste certification in the future.

Great work everyone!  May we all continue to find inspiration from each other as we roll into the fall. 

Laura Armstrong

Director, Sustainability Program and Maryland Green Registry
hairnet

FYI to Food Processors

We'll be offering on-site technical assistance later this fall to food and beverage processors, but in the meantime, here's an upcoming webinar for food processors that will address food waste, packaging waste, solid waste, water, and energy: 

Sept. 19, noon - 1 p.m. Register for Economy, Energy and Environment for Food Related Industries.
treasure hunt1

How to host an energy treasure hunt

An energy treasure hunt is a multi-day event in which teams – from onsite facility staff and occupants to outside experts and specialists – look for day-to-day operational improvements.

Both the U.S. EPA and U.S. Department of Energy offer toolkits for commercial buildings and industrial plants with guidance, templates, videos and instructions that don't require sophisticated technical analysis or calculations. Participants have reduced their energy usage by up to 15% so what are you waiting for? To learn more:

Listen in:  Register now for this upcoming webinar on Sept. 12 at 1 p.m.: “Discovering Energy Savings with Treasure Hunts

See for yourself: U.S. DOE will be providing an In-Plant training on how to perform an Energy Treasure Hunt in a plant at AstraZeneca, a Maryland Green Registry award winner and participant in U.S. Department of Energy's Better Plants Program September 29 - October 1. A very limited number of seats are available. To learn more about the training and the Better Plants Program, please contact Eli Levine at U.S. DOE, eli.levine@ee.doe.gov
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Maryland Green Registry Partners

If you are part of a trade association, chamber of commerce, local government or other group that wishes to promote and recognize sustainable practices among its members, consider a partnership with the Maryland Green Registry.  There are as many different pathways to partnership as there are types of organizations, so let's talk!  For more information and examples of current partnerships, visit here.