 GreenSpotLight Awards Celebration
Please join Columbus GreenSpot and the Franklin Park Conservatory for the annual GreenSpotLight Awards Celebration on Thursday, March 29th. The program is scheduled to begin at 9:00am and end at 11:00am. This year’s celebration will be held at the Franklin Park Conservatory, Wells Barn, 1777 E Broad St, Columbus, OH 43203. For more information and to RSVP: click here!
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Nominate someone for a GreenSpotLight Community Award
Do you know someone who is passionate about the environment that has made a big difference in 2017? If so, nominate them for a GreenSpotLight Award! To be eligible, the nominee must live in Franklin County and volunteer their time for sustainable actions. Simply email GreenSpot@columbus.gov and let us know what they’ve done to help conserve/protect water, conserve energy, reduce/reuse/recycle, green transportation, and/or educate folks on the importance of being green. You can include photos, testimonies, etc. The more details the better! Please include your name. Deadline for submissions is January 30, 2018.
The recognition will be given at the annual GreenSpotLight Awards Celebration.
Event Waste Reduction Grant Opportunity
The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) is seeking applications for it's Event Waste Reduction (EWR) Grant. The grant seeks to assist local event organizers with reducing event-generated waste and diverting as much as possible from the landfill. In addition, these grants also assist event organizers in building the infrastructure needed to sustain these diversion efforts in order to continue to contribute to a safe and healthy community for all Franklin County residents. For more information click here.
 Going Green for the Holidays
Did you know Americans throw away 25% more trash during the holidays than any other time of year? The extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, or about one million extra tons per week. Give without guilt by going green. Here are a few easy steps you can take to limit the amount of trash created this holiday season:
• Bring your own bag when you go shopping.
• Buy rechargeable batteries for all those great electronics you are giving or receiving.
• Use a timer on the holiday lights to save energy.
• Repurpose comics, posters, maps and fabrics to wrap the gifts. Then recycle them.
• Reuse ribbons, bows and gift bags.
The holidays provide many opportunities to be creative and reduce waste. Here are additional ideas you can take to make a difference. Resolve to reduce your waste and recycle more!
•Reduce - Whether you’re preparing a meal, giving gifts or decorating, remember to only buy what you need.
•Donate - Donate unwanted decorations or lights to centers like Goodwill Columbus
•Compost - After the holidays, trees and wreaths can be composted at the curb
•Reuse - Reuse leftovers. Send dinner guests home with lunch for tomorrow!
•Recycle - Recycle right by placing plastic and glass bottles, jugs and jars, paper – including cardboard – cartons and metal cans into your curbside or drop off container
Look for more creative ways to reduce your waste. Check out SWACO’s #GreenHoliday Guide
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Staying Warm for Winter
Winter has arrived, is your home ready? According to the US Department of Energy, drafts can waste 5% to 30% of your energy use. Do-It-Yourself draft dodgers can limit cold air from under doors and windows. Think about holding a DIY draft dodger party-use old socks, shirts, pants, and towels to make a colorful accent for your doors and windows.
Another energy saver tip is to turn down the thermostat when you are not at home. For every degree you lower the thermostat during heating season you can save between 1 and 3% off your heating bill.
Purchasing a window insulation kit from your local hardware store can help reduce cold air from seeping through your windows. Putting a thick curtain over the window at night can provide extra insulation.
One of the best ways to save energy and money is with the insulation of your attic, basement, and crawl spaces. A well-insulated house can save 20% or more of heating and cooling costs compared to a poorly insulated home. Check out Energy Star for more information.
If you qualify, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) Residential Energy Efficiency program provides free services such as attic and sidewall insulation, air sealing and repairing or replacement of electric and gas appliances.
 The Green Purge a Success!
Thank you to all that dropped off household hazardous waste, clothing, furniture, and electronics at the Green Purge! The event was held at the Ohio History Center and 510 vehicles dropped off:
• 134 pieces of furniture
• 27,042 pounds of household hazardous waste
• 21,500 pounds of home goods, eWaste, and cardboard
If you missed the Green Purge you can still find out how to properly dispose of household items. If you live in Columbus check out our Waste Wizard.
If you are outside of Columbus check out SWACO’s Recycling and Reuse Search Tool.
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 Did you know they were a GreenSpot member? All American Storage
All American Moving, Storage and Delivery is a full service Columbus, Ohio moving, storage and delivery company committed to providing top-quality service in a sustainable and environmentally-conscious manner.
All American not only recycles the standard items you would recycle at home, but also recycles items that are unique to their industry. Because of the large amount of packaging and dunnage resulting primarily from their delivery business, they utilize a baling machine to recycle both cardboard and clear plastic. They also utilize a styrofoam densifier to recycle styrofoam - something NOT offered by city recycling services. This allows All American to function as a zero-waste facility. Additionally, they participate in a recycling program for the polyester strapping that is used when securing large furniture items during the shipping process. The waste left behind by their delivery business generates enough material for it to be effective for All American to recycle the smaller amounts of waste that occur from their moving and storage business, such as shrink wrap, plastic carpet protection, and tape.
Several of their employees bike or carpool to work which cuts down on congestion and pollution. At work there are multiple recycling bins which makes it easy for employees to participate. All American has an office-wide policy of reporting water leaks so they can be fixed quickly. Energy is conserved by keeping lights turned off in areas not in use and by keeping the thermostat high in the summer and low in the winter. As they continue expanding their footprint beyond Columbus and Cleveland into Cincinnati, Nashville, and other markets, they will employ the same equipment and will be dedicated to the same recycling standards that they use today.
You can learn more about their commercial moving, residential moving and delivery green efforts and services at www.all-americanmoving.com
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GreenSpot is a program of the City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities. Stay connected through our website and social media.
www.ColumbusGreenSpot.org
@GreenSpotCbus
https://www.facebook.com/ColumbusGreenSpot/
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