Thank you for taking the MyWaterPledge

Columbus is #1 in the large city category of the Wyland Foundation’s National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, because you pledge to conserve more than 65 million gallons of water!

Additionally, you’ve pledged to reduce the use of 176,806 single-use plastic water bottles, eliminate 3,836 pounds of hazardous waste from entering watersheds, and send 1.7 million fewer pounds of waste to area landfills. Potential savings of 483,000 gallons of oil, 281 million pounds of carbon dioxide, 4.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity, and $819,436 in consumer cost savings rounded out the final pledge results.

A suite of awards will be given out to some lucky folks who took the pledge here in Columbus. Top award is free utilities for a year!

GreenSpotLight winners

On April 20th Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and the City of Columbus recognized the GreenSpotLight Award winners for their achievements over the past year to help make our community beautiful, healthy, and prosperous. The winners:

• Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
• Corporate Cleaning, Inc.
• Sunny Glen Wellness/Sunny Glen Garden

Councilmember Emmanuel V. Remy recognized the recent graduates of the GreenSpot Sustainability Initiative class:

• Corporate Cleaning, Inc.
• DHL Supply Chain
• Experience Columbus
• Huntington Bank
• OhioHealth
• Scotts Miracle-Gro

Sponsors for the GreenSpotLight were Green Columbus and AEP Ohio. Read more about the event. 

Do I have leaky faucets?

According to the US EPA, a leaky faucet that drips one drip per second can send more than 3,000 gallons of water down the drain in a year, wasting water and money! An easy way to check for a leaky faucet is to place a cup or glass under the faucet and leave it for 3-4 hours. If it is dry you don’t have a leaky faucet!

Member Benefit: Tour the OSU Zero Waste Stadium

Join your fellow GreenSpot members on a tour of the Zero Waste program at Ohio State’s “Horseshoe” Stadium! In this informational outing, you will learn how a stadium that sits more than 100,000 football fans consistently diverts over 90% of its waste from the landfill by recycling, repurposing, and composting.

The tour will take place bright and early—10am on Thursday, July 25th at the Ohio Stadium. There are only 20 spots for this free event, so we require that you RSVP to attend.

For more information or to sign up please email greenspot@columbus.gov

Free showerhead rebate

Get a new, money-saving shower head at no cost with instant rebates from Columbia Gas. Upgrade your shower heads and faucet aerators to save money on your gas and water bills and conserve energy. Order now through the Columbia Gas online store.

Paris to Pittsburgh showing

Please join us for a screening of Paris to Pittsburgh, a documentary produced by Bloomberg Philanthropies, based on the United States’ involvement in the Paris Agreement and the environmental action that followed the U.S. withdrawal. A panel discussion involving experts will follow the movie. The event is free and open to the public, but please let us know you will be attending. Brought to you by the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, The Nature Conservancy in Ohio, and Sustainable Columbus.

Mow High and Let It Lie

Summer’s here and your lawn care routine should change accordingly!

• Sharp mower blades cut cleaner and faster. Professional sharpeners usually charge between $5-$15 for this service, which should be performed once a year to keep your grass injury-free and looking nice.
• About 3” long is where you belong- grass about this high has stronger, deeper roots that create healthier plants.
• Longer grass can attract ticks that like cooler environments, while a scalped lawn will brown quickly.
• Use those clippings on your lawn to feed it nitrogen, one of three important elements in fertilizer. Keep this free resource off the sidewalk and roads- they won’t grow, and we need our stormdrains free of clogs and nutrients.
• Established lawns are ok to let go dormant. Otherwise, 1” of water per week will keep your lawn at its peak.
• Healthy lawns benefit our streams because they absorb more water during rain storms, require less fertilizer, and are less likely to require pesticide and/or herbicide application than unhealthy lawns. Learn more at Get Grassy!

Air Quality Alerts

Do you have asthma or take care of someone who does? The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s Air Quality Program lets you know when air pollution levels rise, preparing Central Ohio with the knowledge needed to keep your lungs healthy. Sign up for free Air Quality Alerts and forecasts and know you can protect yourself and your loved ones.

Save some energy, save some greenbacks

The Community Energy Savers (CES) program empowers residents and businesses to reduce energy usage. By participating in CES as a community member, you will save energy and money in your homes and businesses, but you also help your community receive grants from AEP Ohio and Columbia Gas that fund energy efficient projects within your community. Columbus’ goal is to have 30,000 energy audits completed by the end of 2020. Help our community reach that goal! 

Plastic Free EcoChallenge

GreenSpot members Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and Calgary Zoo are teaming up this July to host Plastic Free EcoChallenge, inspired by the Australian-founded initiative, Plastic Free July. Plastic Free EcoChallenge is a 31-day, global challenge to reduce and refuse single-use plastics. We invite you to join our Columbus Zoo Community Team and take action on creating plastic-free habits with us!
To see what’s in store for July, check out the website. 

Throughout the EcoChallenge you can share your progress, success, and reflections with fellow EcoChallengers, all while earning points for completed actions! The combination of collective inspiration, camaraderie, and friendly competition makes change a little easier - and a lot more fun. After all, progress is social!

When you sign up choose the Columbus Zoo Community Team from the drop down menu when they register.

Did you know they are a GreenSpot? M-Engineering

M-Engineering strives to be a GreenSpot both within their office and in the spaces they design for their clients.
Recent improvements to their building in Westerville, Ohio include:

• Replacement of restroom fixtures with new, water efficient water closets and lavatories.
• Installing new Energy Star appliances in their break room.
• Installing programmable thermostats and utilizing their setback features during unoccupied hours.
• Replacing existing fluorescent fixtures with LED fixtures in administrative areas.
• Changing lamps in existing light fixtures with LED lamps in production areas.
• Installing a filtered water cooler with bottle filler. To date, they have saved 34,360 bottles!

In addition, a company-wide recycling initiative resulted in large bins being placed in the plot room and break room and individual recycle bins at each of their 70+ employees’ desks. Guidelines for recycling have been posted in employee common areas.

Finally, M-Engineering encourages their clients to establish and achieve energy efficiency goals set forth by the USGBC. Check out our list of LEED Certified spaces.