Federal environmental officials joined town and state officials in Middletown Saturday to announce the start of the community’s Zero Waste Initiative.
Photo: Mayor Drew congratulating Sweet Harmony Café
At the same time, town leaders recognized 13 businesses who were named 2011 Green Business Recycling Heroes for their commitment to reducing the amount of waste produced and increasing the amount of waste reused or recycled.
This Year's Green Business Recycling Heroes were:
Sweet Harmony Café
Russell Library
Wesleyan University
Amici Italian Grill
Arcadis U.S. Inc.
ArtFarm
Book Bower
Centerpoint Connecticut
Citizens Bank
Moving Pictures Inc.
Network-It LLC
The Day Club Adult Center
Youngs Printing
The ceremony was led by Krishna Winston, chair of the Middletown Recycling Committee. Mayor Dan Drew recognized local businesses and organizations that are committed to reducing, reusing and recycling. The award plaques, which were created from recycled materials, were designed by Middletown High School students.
In a letter of appreciation to the mayor, Commissioner Daniel Esty of the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection thanked Middletown for its commitment to adopting a zero waste philosophy.
“Your progressive approach to materials management is a model for the rest of the state,” Esty wrote.
Jeri Weiss, recycling coordinator at the New England office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, thanked Middletown for its willingness to be one of 13 communities nationally to participate in a zero waste pilot program and work with EPA toward achieving zero waste. Zero waste doesn’t mean that nothing will be discarded, but it’s a declaration of policies and commitment to embrace and expand on the three R’s; Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, Weiss explained.
Zero waste policies and programs make good business sense, according to Weiss. For every 10 tons of materials that are thrown away, one job is created. In comparison, 10 jobs are created for the same amount of materials recycled.
All businesses want to manage their resources wisely, Weiss noted. By participating in Middletown’s zero waste efforts and by recognizing local heroes, the Middletown business community, in partnership with town government, is demonstrating its leadership in this area.
2 comments:
how come the eye only covers good things dan drew does and not his poor decisions? propoganda!
"As environmental science has advanced, it has become apparent that the human appetite for animal flesh is a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future: deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice, the destabilization of communities, and the spread of disease." Worldwatch Institute, "Is Meat Sustainable?"
"The livestock sector emerges as one of the top contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. The findings of this report suggest that it should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Livestock’s contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale and its potential contribution to their solution is equally large. The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency." UN Food and Agricultural Organization's report "Livestock's Long Shadow"
“If every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetables and grains... the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off of U.S. roads.” Environmental Defense Fund
Why would someone choose to be vegan? To slow global warming for one! Here are two uplifting videos to help everyone understand why so many people are making this life affirming choice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKr4HZ7ukSE and http://www.veganvideo.org
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